


Tascosa

by Scribe32oz



Series: Seven Scrolls [23]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Action, Angst, Brotherhood, Canon-Typical Violence, Drama, Ensemble Cast, Estabilshed Relationship, F/M, Female Character of Color, Humor, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Interracial Relationship, Novella, Past Domestic Violence, Resolved Plot Point, Romance, Series, Western
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-08 17:44:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 94,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12869748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scribe32oz/pseuds/Scribe32oz
Summary: Vin Tanner is finally confronted by the legacy of Ely Joe’s vengeance when Federal marshals arrive in Four Corners to make him accountable for the death of Jesse Kincaid. As the rest of the seven scramble to protect him, Alexandra Styles journeys to Tascosa and learns that there is more to Kincaid's murder than anyone knows....





	1. Amanda

****

****She was seventeen years old when she married him.

She had not much choice in the matter, really. Her father had passed away leaving her mother with three others mouths to feed. In his death, he left them virtually penniless and they were faced with destitution if a solution was not found. For a time, she tried to find work, taking in sewing after giving up any hope of an education, an expense her mother could not afford. School had become too much of a luxury and she was made increasingly aware of the burden she posed to her struggling family by wishing to remain there. To some extent, her attempts to produce revenue after abandoning her education was partially successful. She generated enough of an income to help her mother, but the struggle was soon taking a toll on her.

She did not know whether he was aware of her circumstances when he first approached her, and later she would wonder whether or not he chose her because he knew she could not blithely refuse him or because he  _actually_  liked her. All she knew for certain was that in the beginning, she had not liked him very much. For starters, he was much older, with almost a twenty years between them. He smelled strongly of tobacco and liquor, and her first instinct was to run and never stop running. However, in his proposal, he had promised to take care of her, that she would never want for anything and he would help her family. Wishing to share the burden of responsibility with someone whose shoulder was broader and more up to the task than she, she had accepted his offer of marriage.

They married early in the spring, the season people often associated with hope. Certainly, when she married him, she had felt all those things and more. She resigned herself to the knowledge that though she did not love this man with the passion spoken of in the romance books she used to indulge herself with when Pa was still alive, she would be a good wife and learn to love him as time went by. After all, he accepted her with the burden of her family following closely behind and promised he would cherish them all as his own kin.

He had not lied about that when he had made the promise, but there was much he had omitted to tell her about himself that might have had a bearing on her decision to marry him.  She learned he had spent much of his life chasing gold and had come away from a lifetime of dedication and dreaming with nothing more than a paltry sum that allowed him to buy a farm in the outskirts of town. Until her, his contact with the opposite sex was limited to the working girls that frequented the gold rush towns whom he had paid for. He expected the same from his wife and was disappointed when she was not so accommodating or as sure of herself in what he required from her in their marriage bed.

Her wedding night had been the stuff of nightmares.

After it was all said and done, she had lain broken and bleeding with wounds so deep, they did not leave marks on the skin but instead on the soul. She had fled home, hoping she would be offered solace and comfort after her ordeal. Begging sanctuary in the home which she had known all her life, she was soon made aware of the reality of her new situation. There was no room for her at home and the money provided by her husband for their expenses was too valuable to refuse or to lose by offering shelter to his estranged wife. As she heard the words from her mother’s lips, a part of her felt betrayed and they had not spoken since that day, even though her mother tried to make conciliatory gestures. She had gone home seeking compassion and discovered it was far easier for her family to see her prostituted then to offer her the help she had so desperately needed.

She returned to her new home with nowhere else to go, aware in her desolation she had willingly placed herself in a hell from which there was no escape. As she trudged back in broken silence, her mother’s voice resonated in her head. It was not a wife’s place to question her husband, her mother had said before telling her to go home. With no choice left to her, she returned to the husband who had not been pleased by her departure and decided disciplining was required. The cycle of violence would become familiar to her for the rest of her marriage.

She bore it all stoically, weeping into her pillow after he was done with her, lamenting her fate even though she was not brave enough to escape. Her tears always came in the dark, when she was certain he could not hear her because that was one dignity she would keep for herself. He in turn, showed little remorse, believing a wife was property, as livestock was something to be owned, except a wife had far more use as a beast of burden than cattle or sheep. After a time, it became almost second nature the life she led, until the pain and the abuse became so common place she accepted it with almost no question.

Of course, the situation was not improved with the lack of children a decade after their marriage. She was unentirely certain that the fault lay with her, although it served his ego to have her believe that. In truth, she was pleased no offspring had come because she believed a man who would use his fists on his wife, would have little restraint in doing so with children and she would allow no child of hers to suffer such abuse. He was a bitter man and he attributed the failures of his life to everyone else, never where it had always been, himself. He blamed her for their lack of children and although she could not be saddled with the guilt of his failed aspirations as a prospector, she could certainly bear the brunt of his anger and disillusionment.

Ten years after that first night, she eased into a begrudging acceptance of her existence and was content it could get no worse. Although he still blamed her for everything that went wrong in his life, his enmity had dwindled into a sour dislike that would on occasion surface when he was drunk or simply needed a reason to get mean. The beatings and the degradations were so much a part of her now she merely accepted the punishment, then waited for the storm to pass before cleaning up the next day and moving on.

On occasion she had momentary flights of fancy where she dreamed she would escape him and disappear without a trace. To that effect she even accumulated a stipend by saving up a tiny portion of the money she earned from taking in sewing. Still it was never quite enough to make good her departure but she felt comforted knowing it was there, even though it was likely that she would never make use of it.

The last year in the decade of their marriage, brought new troubles that had little to do with children or his failed dreams.  The farm upon which he made his livelihood had never been produced the kind of prosperity he dreamed of finding for himself when prospecting for gold, but as parcels of land went, it was farmed moderate success. Much of this had to do with the waterway that ran through the property and was much coveted by their neighbors who were required to deal with him before they could irrigate their crops or water their animals.

It did not take him long to find there was a way to cultivate a tidy profit from being the sole owner of this waterway and very soon, those wishing to make use of it were required to pay for the privilege. Though most did not mind at first, with his increasing demands, resentment was soon grew, particularly from a rancher named Caleb Patterson. Patterson whose extensive spread was brought to a stranglehold by the wells drying up on his own property, was forced to rely on the plentiful waters of their farm to provide water for his livestock. He disliked the idea of buying permission and attempted to buy the place outright for quite a handsome amount.

Of course her husband liked the power he wielded over his friends and neighbors and refused most strenuously and with a measure of sadistic pleasure. His attitude infuriated Patterson who saw his entire livelihood on the brink of destruction because of one lone farmer. It was not long after that the attacks started to take place. Animals were killed, the well was poisoned, someone had burned down the barn and through all this, Patterson continued to press for the sale of the property.

She offered no opinion on the matter because ten years of marriage had taught her that her opinion was neither warranted nor required by her husband. She allowed him to continue his battles with Patterson, once again accepting things as being out of her control, remaining in the background as always. To him, her spirit was well and truly broken and that brought  him some measure of satisfaction, knowing she was the one thing over which he had absolute control. He liked that feeling a great deal. With everything else slipping out of his sphere of influence, it gave him great pleasure to know there was one realm in which he reigned supreme.

The harassment by Patterson continued for months until one night a stranger arrived on their doorstep. His horse had thrown a shoe and he needed a place for the night. At first, her husband was cautious about allowing anyone a roof for the night, particularly after what they suffered at Patterson's hand. However, the stranger had offered to pay and did not sound as if he was native to these parts, assuaging whatever suspicions her husband felt that he might have been Patterson’s agent. Once again, she had no opinion on the matter even though she recognised the stranger as someone familiar. 

The next morning, he had bid her farewell and she made preparation to go to town to do run some errands. Although he was not an attractive man, she wished him well on his journey, for he was to be gone by the time she returned. Before she had departed, he had remarked that he would not see her again.

She spent most of the day shopping for household items, taking some measure of enjoyment in the fleeting moment of being away from the oppressive thumb of her husband. She kept thinking how wonderful it would be when he was finally gone and she would be free to enjoy more than just a few hours of respite. The sun was beginning its descent into evening when she was finally ready to return home, when the town became alive with news of a bounty hunter that had come to town bringing with him the dead body of a notorious outlaw by the name of Ely Joe. She knew instantly he was the stranger they had given shelter the night before and immediately went to the jailhouse to inform the sheriff of this fact.

The moment she arrived at the jailhouse, she knew something was wrong. The bounty hunter named Vin Tanner had been taken into custody and Sheriff Ritter was hesitant to meet her gaze when she walked into the premises. Reluctantly, she was told her husband had been murdered by Tanner who had attempted to claim the reward for Ely Joe’s head by substituting his body for that of the outlaw. Ritter was more than surprised when she asked to view the corpse and upon being allowed to do so, confirmed her husband Jesse Kincaid was really dead. She did not reveal the clothes worn by him at the time of the death were the same as those worn by the stranger who visited the farm house the night before, nor did she make any mention that she knew Ely Joe at all.

A number of days after Jesse’s death, Tanner had managed to escape his cell and disappeared for parts unknown. A posse had been sent in pursuit but she learned the man had been an expert tracker and knew how to vanish without a trace. Although the warrant for the murder was outstanding, no one had attempted to claim it and finally Sheriff Ritter was forced to turn the matter over the purview of the Federal authorities.

For Amanda Kincaid, it mattered little whether or not Tanner was caught. The only thing that mattered to her was the fact after ten years of marriage, she was finally free of his abuse and humiliation. She sold the farm promptly to Caleb Patterson, who was good enough to give her a generous price for the place. Buying herself a small house in town, Amanda began life a new, supporting herself by taking up dress making and trying to forget she was ever married to Jesse Kincaid.

She heard later on Ely Joe had been killed in a small town called Four Corners and felt some measure of sorrow at his passing, because he had done her a service.  Tanner was still at large but Ritter was determined not to let the tracker get away with his crime. As far as Sheriff Ritter was concerned, Tanner had killed an innocent man and should be made to see justice.

Only Amanda knew Jesse was far from innocent but those were  _her_  secrets and it was one of many she shared with Ely Joe. 


	2. Domestic Bliss

Buck Wilmington never ceased to surprise Chris Larabee.

After so many years of their friendship, through some of the most difficult times any two friends had ever faced, his oldest friend still managed to throw him off balance with some startling new aspect to his personality Chris had not suspected prior this point. In truth, the last year had been an eye opening experience in regard to what Buck Wilmington was capable of given the chance. Not only had the confirmed and longstanding bachelor abstained from the company of the fair sex to win his lady love, he was now married and playing the role of doting father to his new daughter, Elena Rose.

Chris had to admit to feeling some skepticism at Buck’s ability to be a family man.  After all, for as long as Chris had known him, Buck had been chasing tail like it was a religious quest. Chris knew of no man who could find female company faster than Buck Wilmington, but to everyone’s surprise, Buck launched himself into the endeavor of marriage and fatherhood with earnest effort. He was still the same happy go lucky rogue that he had always been but now he seemed happier, if such a thing could be. Buck had always had strong sensibilities when it came to family, possibly because he lacked one most of his life. Chris knew it had hit his old friend just as hard when he had lost Sarah and Adam and felt equally reinvigorated by the introduction of Mary and Billy into Chris’s life.

Today, with the opening of business for the horse ranching venture he, Vin and Buck had poured their time and effort into these past months, Chris had another reason to be pleasantly surprised. Neither Chris nor Vin was sociable creatures. People tended to annoy Chris and he liked having little to do with them, while Vin was painfully shy at the best of times. Being with Alex had drawn the younger man out a little but not much. In the running of a business, it was absolutely essential at least one of them had people skills. Buck was always comfortable around people and he had a manner that was approachable as well as extremely likeable.

As the first customers began showing up from across the region to inspect this latest enterprise coming to life in their midst, Chris and Vin had found themselves withdrawing into the background to let Buck contend with these new arrivals. They had a number of good horses ready for the selling and both Chris and Vin preferred the more physical work of breaking the animals rather than the buying and selling process that came when it was all said and done. While Buck was equally skilled as they were in this, he was a better salesman and when combined with Ezra, who could never stay out of it when there was any trading to be done, made quite a formidable pair when it came to driving the hard bargain.

People had drifted in from all over the region. Some came from Four Corners and Bitter Creek, while others rode in even farther from Sweetwater and Vesta City. Word had a way of getting around, especially when the horse ranch in question was owned by three of the seven men who guarded the town of Four Corners. Chris had a feeling that most of the buyers who turned up the first day were merely curious to see how they would fare as respectable horse ranchers rather than some genuine need to buy a horse. Nevertheless when the day finally came to an end, they had sold four horses and made themselves close to a thousand dollars, not a bad day’s work as far as Chris was concerned.

"Mr. Wilmington I am impressed," Ezra Standish commented when the day was done and they were all sitting around the front porch of Vin’s shack, enjoying a drink before they headed back to town. "I had no idea that your powers with the ladies could transfer so well to a more commercial venture. I do believe you had those people positively eating out of your hand."

Buck smiled faintly and remarked. "Well it’s what I do." Despite himself, the newly wed was somewhat surprised at how easily it all came back to him. It had been years since he and Chris had been horse ranching and so much of it had been lost in the hard living of the recent years.

"You did it well." Chris found himself commenting and raised his cup of coffee in the gesture of a toast.

"Yeah Buck," Vin agreed. "I’m glad it was you not me." Vin could not imagine anything worse than having to sell a product. He had enough trouble just talking to the people he knew, let alone having lengthy conversations with strangers about buying and selling. Although he had not voiced it to either Chris or Buck, Vin dreaded that part of the enterprise. While he enjoyed working with the horses, Vin preferred to remain in the background where no one would notice him. It was not as if he was afraid of dealing with people, he liked his anonymity and considering that he was still a wanted man, it seemed a logical course of action. "I gotta stay low. You never know when someone might want to come looking for me."

"I seriously doubt anyone is still in mind to apprehend you Mr. Tanner," Ezra said confidently, leaning his chair on its legs up against the wall. "Other than that unfortunate incident with Ely Joe, the law has been more or less indifferent to the crime. After all, Texas is hardly the place where murders are rare."

"That don’t mean nothing." Chris retorted, unprepared to dismiss Vin’s situation so easily. "Just because they ain’t here don’t mean they forgotten you."

"Way to be optimistic Chris," Buck frowned, seeing the worry lines appear in Vin’s face at that remark. The young man tried hard not to show people he was concerned about the price on his head at most times but the fact was, Vin had the same dreams and aspirations they all did. He wanted to marry the woman he loved just like they had and build a future of himself. None of which could be achieved until he was free of this charge of murder.

"It’s okay Buck," Vin shrugged, preferring honesty rather than veiled attempts to hide the truth. He tended to agree with Chris on this matter anyway, the price on his head was not gone or forgotten. Eventually it would catch up to him and if he had the slightest idea how to deal with it, he would have already done something about the situation. Unfortunately, the solution was far from over, and Vin knew time would soon catch up with him. "Chris is just saying it like it is."

"Perhaps, we ought to make inquiries into the matter." Ezra suggested. "Surely, we could prevail upon Judge Travis to make some preliminary investigation into how Texas law intends to deal with Mr Tanner’s unfortunate circumstances."

"The Judge is a territorial judge," Chris replied, agreeing with the gambler some inquiries ought to be made though not in the method he suggested. "He’s got no jurisdiction in Texas and I ain’t too eager to wake any sleeping dogs."

"Unfortunately, what is required here is a criminal trial lawyer." Ezra understood what Chris was getting at. By definition, murder was a state crime and thus any punitive outcome would be dispensed by the state, in this case Texas. It was beyond the reach of Judge Travis to aid Vin in any way because his influence only extended as far as the jurisdiction to which he was appointed.

"That ain’t gonna happen any time soon." Vin drawled, uncertain what the difference between a regular lawyer and criminal trial lawyer even was, let alone being able to acquire the services of one.

"Look," Buck said hating the mood to dampen with such gloomy talk. "We’re making money. We got off to a fine start today. All we got to do is wait a little while longer and we can get the kind of fancy lawyer Ezra is talking about."

"Sounds like a plan." Chris muttered taking a sip of his coffee and wishing that they could do more than that. Although he remained silent, not wishing to dampen the mood with talk of doom and gloom, Chris was becoming increasingly mindful of Vin’s situation even if the younger man barely brought up the subject. The truth was, the longer it took for them to clear his name the more difficult it would be. Of course, all Vin had to do to get the lawyer he needed quickly was to ask Alex. While Chris was uncertain as to the exact nature of the lady’s finances, he had the impression she was very well off. Vin would never ask Alex for that kind of help though, even Chris was realistic enough to know that. The tracker was too proud and Chris was aware of how sensitive he was about the issue of Alex’s income.

Ezra feeling that a change of subject was definitely in order turned to Buck. "And how long will it take the fair Mrs Wilmington to complete her maternity leave and return to work? Or does the darling Elena Rose still require her full time attention?"

An involuntary smile stole across Buck’s face at the mention of both his daughter and wife. "Not for awhile yet. She might come into the saloon in a few weeks when Rain starts babysitting for her."

"How is that little girl of yours Buck?" Vin inquired.

"Well she’s just fine." Buck grinned even wider, the happy emotions engendered by his idyllic domestic situation reflecting in his eyes as he spoke about his little girl. "Drove me and Inez crazy for the first few weeks, damn kid couldn’t stop crying. The late night feeding’s just about drove me to drink."

"Every three hours during the night," Chris replied, remembering with a little sadness how he and Sarah had experienced the same thing with Adam. It was becoming easier to think about his wife and child. Sometimes, it amazed him how he was able to cope with the knowledge they were gone and had no wish to be dead alongside them as he once had. Mary and his friends were largely responsible for this healing and was glad that Buck could enjoy the experience of these early years as much as he had when Adam was a baby. He supposed in the end, every moment he had spent with Adam was all the more precious because of just how young his son had been when he was taken. "Best time that Sarah and I ever had was the first night Adam decided to sleep the whole night through."

"Only way we could do it and still get some sleep is take turns." Buck explained, recalling how the arrangement had allowed both Inez and Buck to get more than three hours sleep without being woken up. Buck was determined not to be one of those fathers that left everything in his wife’s hands. Just as he was eager to participate in the child’s life prior to its birth, Buck was equally determined to play an active role now that Elena was born. Thus, the late nights, the diaper changing and the crying was not enough to sour the pleasure he got when his little Rose looked up at him from her crib and rewarded him with a smile of recognition.

"The customers are complaining and missing the delights of her culinary expertise in Mexican cuisine. While Miss Rain is quite adept in the kitchen, amazingly enough they do miss your wife’s brand of bar tendering."

"You’re just saying that cause you own the place now, Ezra." Vin pointed out.

"I cannot tell a lie," a satisfied smile crossed the gambler’s face at the knowledge that the Standish Tavern was back in his hands as it should have always been and not in his mother’s possession. Even though he was grateful that Julia Pemberton, his lover, had purchased the establishment from Maude to make a gift of it to him, Ezra still wanted to earn enough profit so he could pay her for her investment. Once upon a time, it would have been unimaginable for him to front his own money when it was possible for someone else to do so, however, Ezra’s feeling for Julia would not allow him to take advantage of her. She had bought the place from Maude because she loved him and knew it had hurt when Maude had humiliated him by buying the tavern out from under him. He was going to pay Julia back every cent she paid for the place because he loved her too. "There is a great deal of satisfaction knowing I am now Inez’s employer."

"I’ll bet." Chris gave him a look knowing perfectly well just how deep that sentiment ran. If there was one person who could see through Ezra’s facade without any difficulty whatsoever, it was Chris Larabee. Some might say marriage had mellowed the man, but any who did were making a fatal mistake. The gunslinger may not be as sullen and bad tempered as he used to be but his wit was sharp, if not sharper because his judgment was no longer clouded or impaired by grief or anger.

"Don’t even think about giving her a hard time when she does get back to work Ezra." Buck warned good naturedly even though he could become deadly serious in a moment if he thought that Ezra was going to cause any distress to his wife.

"Now I take umbrage at that remark," Ezra retorted, seemingly crushed by the mere suggestion that he might behave in anything less than a gentlemanly manner. Inez was after all his friend far longer than she had been Buck’s wife. "I’ll have you know that I only want her back because she is an integral part of the business."

"And because you ain’t no good at running the place like she is." Vin ventured a guess.

"Exactly." Ezra let out a sigh. "The woman does know how to make that place run like clockwork." While Rain was more than adequate at seeing to it that the drinks were served and that the kitchen facilities were managed quite adequately during Inez’s absence, Ezra could not fill the role of manager that Inez had performed so superbly. If he wanted to maintain the profit margin he needed to pay Julia back for her purchase of the saloon for him, he needed Inez. Perhaps the offer of a partnership she had once suggested to him was not so outlandish in retrospect.

"Well she ain’t planning on coming to work for awhile yet." Buck offered, sympathetic to Ezra’s position but mindful that Inez was thoroughly enjoying her time with her daughter. "She’s too happy being a mom at the moment. Can’t say I mind it though. It’s good to have them both waiting for me when I get home at nights. Except tonight of course, she wanted to get out of the house a bit so she’s heading in town with the baby to do some visiting. She’ll probably drop in and say hi to Mary, Chris. You know how women are when they get together."

"That means I’m heading to the saloon." Chris remarked, deciding he had no intention of intruding on any heated gossip session the ladies might be having. "Want to join me?" He looked at the men around him.

"I probably will." Buck replied, not wishing to admit that he hated going to the homestead when neither Inez or the baby were there. He had never believed that he could miss the sounds of Elena cooing in her crib or that wonderful baby smell of milk and powder that lingered in her room. Then there was also Inez’s cooking, the warmth of her arms around him as she offered him greetings upon his arrival. Buck had never thought he could be so lost to anything so domestic.

"I suppose I can bestow upon you my company for the evening." Ezra replied, completing the triumvirate of agreement over their evening plans. Instinctively, they gazed upon the only one of them who had yet to voice his intention to make the threesome into a quartet.

"Sorry, I got plans." Vin declined to join them. "I promised Alex we’d go riding tonight."

"Riding huh?" Buck said skeptically, not believing it for a second, causing Vin to dip his hand into what was left of his coffee and flicking the drops on his fingertips at the new father.

"You got a mind like a gutter." Vin remarked with a frown, disliking the innuendo even if Buck was right. He seriously doubted that there would be any riding being indulged in tonight, horse back that is.

"Yeah but he’s right." Chris grinned, taking the rare opportunity to indulge the devil in him,

"Now gentlemen," Ezra spoke up coming to Vin’s defense. "Is that anyway to support out shy comrade here. After all, I am certain that Mr. Tanner has only the purest intentions for dear Doctor Styles, especially in this lone, deserted place where they will be the only two souls within hair breath’s of each other. I am certain that this is completely innocent." The gleam in his eyes indicated anything but that."

"Ezra," Vin rolled his eyes. "Don’t help me."

"Okay, enough." Chris spoke up putting an end to the gentle teasing when he saw Vin starting to become crimson with embarrassment. The tracker did not like speaking about his feelings for Alex even though they had been together for more than a year now and every one of the seven knew they were on intimate terms. "Leave the poor man alone. We’ve  _all_  been a little less than proper with our relationships."

"Agreed." Ezra had to concede that point. They all had the fortune of meeting women who were not at all conventional in their existence, who believed the affairs of the heart took precedence over the customs and traditions of polite society. Thankfully that meant giving their love to men most women of their caliber would hardly give the time of day. "To Doctor Styles," Ezra raised his cup. "A more generous woman there has never been."

It was a toast that Vin was happy to raise a cup to. "To Miss Julia, who seems to be the only one who can take you down a peg or two Ezra." The tracker eyed him with a glint of mischief in his eyes, determined to pay Ezra back for some of his earlier remarks, since Ezra and he were more or less in the same position when it came to their conduct with the women they loved.

"To Mary Travis Larabee," Buck grinned, following the flow taken by the toast. "The woman to whom we owe everything. Without her, we would still be a bunch of gunfighters and not much else."

Chris could not disagree to that and then raised his cup to complete the circle. "To Inez Rosillos Wilmington, who has finally made it safe for fathers in at least three counties to let their daughters out of the house now that she’s married Buck and made an honest man out of him." The gunslinger joked and elicited a series of chuckles from the other two men present who agreed with that statement most wholeheartedly.

"Very funny," Buck threw him a look of mock offence before they all clicked their cups and completed the toast.

Perhaps they were a little more settled because of the women in their lives, but considering what it had been prior to Four Corners, there was not a man present who could honestly say they regretted the turn of their fortunes or the women they shared it with.

* * *

Mary Travis Larabee had a secret.

In truth, she had carried it with her for almost a month, feeling as if she would burst from the sheer anticipation of what she suspected, even though she not absolutely certain and knew she should be prior to becoming so excited about the possibility. After how it had transpired the last time she found herself in this position, Mary had been too afraid to imagine or hope that she might have another chance at what was so cruelly taken from her more than a year ago. Even though she rarely spoke about the anguish of that loss, Mary still carried it inside her and though she had learnt to live with the pain, she had not forgotten it.

The first time she had faced this, it had been a dilemma and justifiably so. She and Chris were new into their relationship and were just learning what it was like to be together after so many years being alone. Even though the tragedy that followed was not one she had wished for anything in the world, Mary could not deny that in the end, it might have been for the best. Rushing into things was not the way to start marriage or to bring a child into the world, which was what would have happened, if not for the intervention of fate and a mechanical monster from the future. She had lost their baby then and it stung still whenever she thought about what that child might have been.

Yet there was a part of her that accepted why it was not meant to be. Things had been too new between her and Chris and their discovery of each other could not stand up to the onslaught of such a weighty responsibility upon their fledgling relationship. Of course, this was hardly the case now. Things had changed as they usually did with the seasons that passed.

When she had first found out she was pregnant with Chris’ child more than year ago, Alexandra Styles was newly arrived in Four Corners and only just beginning her relationship with Ezra Standish. Julia Pemberton was not even in town at that point and Inez was still recovering from her brutal rape at the hands of Saul Willis and his men. Everything back then had been in a state of flux, with players still finding their places on the chessboard. Time had forged their friendship and camaraderie with chains of affection so thick that they were almost unbreakable and Mary found all the reservations that had dogged her before about Chris’ child had now evaporated into nothingness.

She had gone to Alex’s clinic this morning, full of anticipation over what she was certain to be a reality and yet hesitant in case she was mistaken and the growing life inside of her was nothing more than wishful thinking. Mary almost wanted to live with the illusion instead of the truth as she found herself inside Alex’s examination room. The doctor as always was silent and not forthcoming about her opinion until it was all said and done and Mary was almost ready to strangle her for not being more vocal. However, she knew that Alex was a complete professional when it came to these matters. Alex would not say anything that might engender false hope and so she had left Mary on pins and needles throughout the entire examination, limiting their conversation to polite chatter even though their relationship was a great deal more personal than that.

Finally when Mary was getting dressed, Alex disappeared into her office to carry out her final analysis while leaving the editor of the Clarion News so full of anticipation that Mary thought she might burst before ever hearing the news for herself. When Mary was finally clothed, she had emerged out of the sterile examination room and found Alex seated behind her desk, waiting patiently for her to appear.

"Okay tell me." Mary gushed, unable to stand it any more. "Am I pregnant?"

Alex said nothing as she scribbled in the note pad on her desk before looking up at Mary, with the faintest hint of a smile on her face. "Congratulations Mrs. Larabee, you are approximately five weeks into term." Alex said and was rewarded with the most dazzling smile of happiness that she had ever seen from the blond woman.

"I knew it!" Mary exclaimed jumping to her feet with almost euphoric joy. It was infectious to say the least and drew Alex out of from behind her desk long enough for both women to exchange a warm embrace.

"I just knew it!" Mary gushed once she had disengaged herself from Alex. "I’ve been keeping my fingers crossed all this week because I haven’t been feeling all that well and the only time I recall being off my food the way I’ve been is when I’ve been pregnant with Billy and there was that other time." Her exuberance dampened a little upon touching that subject and Alex offered her a look of empathy before Mary shook the sadness from her. This was too happy a day for her to be mired in the sorrows of things she could not change when there was so much to look forward to.

"How are you feeling?" Alex asked and not referring to her physical state of health. The mind was just an important as the body in a situation like this and her recollection of Mary’s last pregnancy and how it had ended made the question a very necessary one.

"I’m thrilled!" Mary found herself grinning from ear to ear. "Oh Alex," she tried to contain her emotions but it was terribly hard when she was so overjoyed. All she wanted to do was rejoice in the exhilaration at the life growing inside of her, of the baby that she and Chris had created. "I’ve wanted another chance at this for so long. I mean the last time, so many things went wrong."

"Yes," Alex nodded somberly, recalling those events well. "How many people can claim to having a mechanical monster travel through time to murder you?" Alex still had difficulty believing any of that had happened but it was no more difficult to believe that out in the New Mexican desert was a gateway that took human beings from planet to planet, like one would step through a door.

The world was full of mysteries.

"Not many," Mary remarked with a loud exhale before falling back into her chair as Alex leaned against the side of her desk. "Fortunately, this time things might progress with a little less insanity." Mary said hopefully.

"I doubt it," the doctor said with a faint smile. "Normal is not a word that seems to revolve around us or our men. Hell, I had a patient who gave birth in a prairie while exchanging her marriage vows during labor, how sane is that?"

"Don’t rain on my parade." Mary said with a mock frown. "I am extremely delighted that I am going to have a baby!" She giggled with almost schoolgirl delight and was soon reduced to girlish tittering.

"Okay, now you’re making me want to prescribe something for those mood swings." Alex teased as she chuckled, pleased to see Mary so delighted about this wonderful news. The last time she had told Mary she was pregnant, the woman had almost passed out from the shock of it. Alex supposed that if she were to find out that she was having Chris Larabee’s baby, her reaction would not be all that different.

"I can’t wait to tell Chris." Mary sighed, certain that he was going to be just as deliriously happy about her news as she was to hear it. Not to mention Billy, who had been complaining for as long as she and Chris had been married that it was time for another child to be in the house. He had been perfectly serious when he had sat at the breakfast table on morning not long after they had been married and announced very calmly that he wanted a brother or a sister. While Billy had claimed to have no particular preference, he did cite that the new child was going to have to be able to fish and go hunting, so Mary assume that she was either going to have a boy or Annie Oakley.

"Please," Alex looked at her and said with a completely straight face. "When you have the baby, I’ll donate a thousand dollars to its college fund if you just let me be there with a photographer when its time for Chris to change a diaper."

Mary rolled her eyes. "You have an utterly wicked sense of humor, Doctor Styles." The editor of the Clarion News said with a hint of mock reproach.

"I’m starting to feel like there’s a trend going with all these pregnancies," Alex sighed as she stood up from the table’s end and rounded her desk to return to her chair once again. "Between you and Inez, I think I should just give up general practice and just go into gynecology."

"Well I would prefer no one else to be attending physician." Mary said graciously, aware of how comforting Alex had been as a doctor to Inez during her pregnancy. While Mary had complete faith in Nathan, she felt a little intimidated, as Inez certainly had to be examined by a man for such a purely feminine condition. Having a lady doctor around, especially during times like this was extremely comforting. "Oh I just pity Chris for what I am going to put him through. Steven said he was almost tempted to run off and live with the Indians during those nine months. Apparently, I was quite the harridan."

"Can’t imagine that," Alex said sweetly. "You’re such a calm and passive personality."

"This from the woman who calls chocolate ice cream a medical prescription." Mary looked at her with a brow of accusation.

"Hey," Alex defended herself. "I didn’t hear you complaining. Besides, it was either that or sedate you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so ropable."

Alex was referring to one of the more spectacular arguments Mary and Chris had indulged in during their early days of marriage. Apparently Chris had a little difficult remembering he was married again and had been admirably doing his own laundry, which Mary would not have minded so much if she had not walked into her bedroom and found wet socks drying on her window sill for the entire town to see. The argument that followed from that simple faux pas had everyone running for cover until Alex and Julia had dragged Mary off to the Emporium and salved her rage with chocolate ice cream. When Mary took home a quart of the stuff later that evening, Alex had this feeling that it was  _not_  for her to eat by herself. The mental picture that drew in the doctor’s head suddenly made Alex wonder what Vin was doing tonight.

"Oh apparently I’m worse than that." Mary confessed with a genuine sympathy for Chris who had no idea what he was going to endure during the next few months. "Maybe you better give me something for Chris."

"Once again, chocolate ice cream comes to mind." Alex grinned mischievously and made Mary smile devilishly at the suggestion.

"Well," the blond said with a twinkle in her blue gray eyes. "I suppose it’s too late to worry about family planning at this point."

"You’re not kidding." Alex replied sarcastically. "So, does Chris have any idea, or like every other male in the universe, has he been simply walking around without a clue that you might be making him a father again?"

"He has no idea." Mary sighed, feeling something akin to reservation seeping into her bones now that the euphoria of knowing definitely that she was pregnant had passed. "I hope he is happy about it, I know that I am."

"Any reason why he might not be?" Alex asked seriously, all humor draining from her voice as she reverted to type as a doctor, listening to the troubles and concerns of her patient in order to help.

"Yes," Mary nodded, meeting her gaze. "After how he lost Adam and Sarah. Maybe he won’t be happy to go through raising a child again."

"Don’t sell him short," The doctor said quickly, earnest in her belief of Chris’ reaction in this matter. "Chris Larabee is a grim, brooding, arrogant, pain in the ass, but he’s a good man and he loves you more than anything in the world. You just have to see how he looks at you to know that. I think that there will always be a little fear inside of him. After losing a family the way he had, there is no way you can entirely expect him to escape that fear, even in the slightest degree. I do know for certain, however that you have made him happier than anyone has ever seen him and I don’t think that he could ever be disappointed in anything you do."

Alex’s words had a profound effect on Mary. The former widow was not certain for a few seconds if the tears filling her eyes were from the truth of the doctor’s claim about Chris, or just the symptom of the mood swings that would make themselves felt most prolifically over the new few months. In any case, warm tears streamed down her cheeks and Alex found herself going to Mary and embracing her once again.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry." Alex apologized unable to stand seeing anyone in tears because it made her weepy too and that did nothing for her professional detachment as a physician.

"No," Mary shook her head and tried to make the doctor understand that her tears were not because of sorrow but because of happiness at the realization that Alex was right about how Chris felt about her. It was quite something to know that one was loved so deeply. "I’m just happy Alex." She swallowed. "I never thought I would have this again. After Steven died, I thought my days of having a family were over and now I not only have Chris and Billy but I have you and all the others as well."

"Oh those hormones are really kicking in aren’t they?" Alex remarked in her usual flippant manner, which Mary knew to be her way of coping with overt sentimentalism. It was not meant in malice or cynicism. It was just the way Alex dealt with her emotions when they became even too much for her precise control.

"Yes they are," Mary laughed wiping her eyes. "Well," she let out a deep breath as if she was about to go off and face the lions in the arena. "I have to get home and tell Chris the good news."

"Remember," Alex called out as Mary started to withdraw out of the room. "Thousand dollars for the first look at him changing a diaper."

Mary shook her head in disbelief and retorted. "You have no shame."

* * *

The ranch was called the Lucky Seven.

The intruders moved stealthily in the darkness, closing in on their prey like a wolf pack hunting in the dead of night. They knew the terrain well, both in the twilight and in the day when they closed in on the prey who was still unknowing of their presence. They could hear the sounds of life that drew them like animals catching the scent of blood and preparing for the kill. By night, the ranch was silent and devoid of the hustle and bustle that had been its ilk during the day. The three intruders, varying in age and disposition moved silently forward, confident that there was no danger in the undertaking that would transpire tonight although they were perfectly prepared for a confrontation if it came to that.

Although open for business and had done brisk trade during the day, there was not much else built upon the land owned by Chris Larabee upon which his horse ranch was located. Aside from a house, which was no more than a shack really, there was little on the property that made for comfortable living. There were of course the necessary structures that were required when one was entering a trade revolving around horseflesh or any livestock for that matter. There was a large barn that was a new addition to the site, several holding pens and corrals for horses to be kept and for breaking purposes. Not to forget a large water tower that collected precious rainwater when it did decide to rain in this dry, temperate climate. Although there was a creek located on the property, it was always wise out here to take precautions, especially when it came to water.

The three shadows had left their horses far enough away to ensure that their arrival would remain unheard by the prey who was awaiting their ministrations. They could see evidence of the target’s presence by the horses that were hitched to the post in front of the house and the sounds of voices, one male and female being carried through the cool night air to their receptive ears. With a smile, the leader looked at his companions and signal that it was time to proceed with their plan.

Time for a little game of acquisition.

* * *

Oh they were being bad and they knew it.

Above them, the moon gazed upon their late night tryst, offering no judgment as they delighted in the privacy of a moonlight swim in the self contained environment of the water tank located high above the ranch. It was well past nine o’clock, with Chris and Buck departed long ago for their respective homes. Now that the ranch was well and truly open for business, it became doubly important for one of them to remain at the premises when the sun went down. Since Vin Tanner had been residing at the shack that had been Chris Larabee’s home during his early days in Four Corners, it was more or less his responsibility to keep guard on the place. Tonight however, he had company as Alex had joined him for a little opening celebration of their own.

"If anyone find us in here," Alex whispered as her lips moved over Vin’s neck, as they stood up their shoulders in cool water, delicious against the skin especially on a warm summer night like this. "I am never going to forgive you."

"Ain’t no one here except us." He grinned, his head drooping back slightly as he enjoyed the feel of her lips against his wet skin, especially the contrasting sensation of her warm breath and the cool water inside the tank all at once. He felt himself hardening beneath the surface of the water at the feel of her body against his. The intense arousal prompted his palms to glide up the curve of her bare back.

"Besides who would be out at this hour of the night?" He said with a hint of school boy mischief in his cobalt colored blue eyes.

"I hope you’re right," she smiled, aware that he was very hard to resist when his eyes twinkled this way and parted her lips slightly just as he leaned over and took charge of her mouth. She closed her eyes dreamily, feeling his tongue probe past her teeth, exploring the warmth recess with that same sweet tenderness she had come to love and would surely die without. His hard muscled body pressing against her breast created a surge of passion within her and instinctively, one of her hands raked the dark length of his hair, luxuriating in the wet strands. Her other hand found that particular curvature of spine that was extra sensitive to touch and caressed it with slow circles of her finger tips, generating a swirling sensation that expressed its pleasure by the hardening cock pressing into her thigh.

"You make me crazy Doc," he whispered as he looked at her with heavy lids, shuddering with pleasure at the jolts of electricity she sent through his skin by how she was manipulating his body.

"Oh good," she giggled and removed her hand from his hair and it disappeared beneath the surface of the water to satisfy the hunger of the cock that was demanding attention by its insistent nudging against her belly. Her palm molded around the shaft and she ran her soft hand over the slippery skin to feel him disengage from her lips momentarily as the wave of ecstasy gripped him and he fought for control as his fingers dug into her skin.

"You’re evil." He grunted, closing his eyes as the pleasure of her ministrations tugged at him and reduced him to a heavy pant. Vin felt her increase the tempo of her smooth palm running along his throbbing shaft, carefully avoiding the head as she tortured him with perfect understanding after so long together, what it took to make him cry surrender from the sheer pleasure of her touch.

Vin could sense the familiar stirrings that brought him closer and closer to orgasm and knew that he wanted to be inside her when he finally crested. Forcing himself tortuously to ignore the swell of ecstasy delivered by her touch, he snapped back to coherence and pressed his lip against her once more, hot and demanding as he wrestled control away from her. She was taken back by his forcefulness and decided very quickly that she did not mind the shift. Alex liked Vin being in control and delighted in the sensation of his hands slipping under the curves of her buttocks to lift her up gently, aided by the buoyancy of the water. Pushing her back against the wood of the tank, Alex hardly noticed the obstruction as his mouth slid past her lips and began devouring her neck, alternating between gentle nips and the more insistent swirling of his tongue against the tender skin. The pleasure wrought from that beautiful mouth made her head swim and she was barely aware when his hand hooked her thigh around his waist and the hard tip of his cock began searching her folds for entry.

The water had made lubrication minimal but Alex could hardly care less when she felt him slide inside her. The friction of water generated its own pleasure and she felt every inch of him entering her with an awareness that had been absent before. It was not any better or any worse from their previous love making, just very different and the difference made the arousal all the more potent. His entry was not quick and smooth but the extended plunging of his throbbing cock deep inside her pulled a sound from her lips before she even knew it had escaped.

"Oh God, Vin!" Her nails dug into the wet skin of his back as he grabbed her other leg and slid it around his waist, the bounce of the water keeping her afloat and creating a steady rhythm of sensations that was beginning to overwhelm him too.

Vin heard her cry out but he was in no better condition than she, even if he was more restrained about his vocals. The ecstasy of making love to her was, as always, all encompassing, filling him with sensations he could feel starting from his fingertips and coalescing in his gut as his body climbed steadily toward apogee. His fingers dug into her rounded cheeks, holding her firm as he continued pushing into her, equally inflamed by the friction of water instead of juices. It was so new and so different that he could do nothing but become lost as he pumped harder into warm inner passage, biting down as the pleasure of her became a scalding heat that would have sizzled the water if allowed to become something real and tangible.

Lord, Lord, Lord. The word repeated his mind over and over again in his head as he continued thrusting harder and harder, starting to groan as he felt the barrier of flesh. She felt so damn good! The tight pressure of her contracting inner walls against him as he pushed past was driving the sense from his world as the pleasure created by that friction resonated throughout his body. She was cradling his head in her arms, pulling him against her breasts as he pounded harder into her, until he felt his cheek tingle at the gentle brush over the tip of a hardened rosebud nipple. Wanting to savor her taste, he opened his mouth instinctively and took one hard bud into his mouth.

"Vin!" She moaned as the insistent suckling of his mouth against her nipple forced her over the threshold and felt herself plunge headlong into a kaleidoscope of color. He felt her arch in his grasp, her body curving in taut ecstasy to allow him for a few seconds, ever further penetration until he felt himself hit a hard ridge of flesh that permitted him no deeper. The pleasure from the collision of his cock against that innermost barrier, coupled with the powerful contraction of muscles as her orgasm came over her, ripped any self restraint that still lingered inside him. He felt her crush him on all sides and the excruciating pleasure that was afforded him upon her release shattered his soul until he felt himself groaning out loud, feeling it torn from him like rage from the soul.

"God, Alex!" He moaned, unabashed and not caring for anything except this vision of ecstasy he could see before his eyes. He continued pumping until every drop of him was warming them both inside her. Their hot fluids created an erotic blend of heat that drew them closer to each other in an effort to evade the chill that came from water against the skin. Alex’s head dropped into his neck, breathing hard as she came down from the plateau he was descending himself. Vin felt her trembling in his arms and confessed to feeling the same shudder in the wake of their powerful expression of physical love. He felt her rubbing her cheek against the flesh as he slid his hands up her sides once he had set her down again and took a deep breath of her wet, perfume like hair.

They remained unspeaking for a few minutes as they held each other, recovering their senses inside their private playground. Alex gazed into the stars above, feeling extremely happy at how perfect her life was since she had found him and Four Corners. She wanted none of it to change and would be thoroughly content if things remained like this forever.

"I suppose we should be more careful about doing this," she purred in his ear. "Now that you are a respectable rancher and all." There was slight hint of teasing in her voice.

"Respectable?" He said perfectly happy to stay where he was in her arms. "I ain’t respectable and ain’t ever going to be until I get this damn price off my head."

"Oh I don’t know," she kissed showered his neck in gentle kisses. "I kind like having an elicit affair with a dangerous outlaw."

He laughed softly and drew back far enough to deliver her a lingering kiss before remarking. "You’re crazy Doc."

"You ought to know cowboy," she winked at him when suddenly her eye caught sight of something amiss and she became very serious as she met his gaze again. "Vin, where are our clothes?"

Vin immediately looked up, his eyes moving to the spot where they had draped their clothes over the edge of the water tank. Unfortunately, there was no signs of any kind of garment, except for his gun belt, which was probably the most useless apparel left at this time. "It was here!" He stated, knowing that it was impossible for clothes to have just vanished. Splashing across the length of the tank, Vin pulled himself out of the water over the edge far enough to see that the missing items had not fallen over the side to the ground either. As he peered into the night below, he suddenly heard sounds of muffled giggling.

"Goddamn it you bastards!" Vin called out certain that one of those voices belonged to Buck Wilmington and guessing that if it were pranks that the man was indulging in, then his co-conspirator was mostly likely JD Dunne and Ezra Standish. "Give us back our clothes!"

"I’m sorry Vin," Buck’s loud guffaw returned through the darkness and Vin knew exactly where the man was hiding in the trees below. "I can’t hear too well, can you come down here and say that?"

"I am gonna get you for this!" Vin cried out impotently, aware that he was going to have to emerge from the tank as he was because his friends were going to enjoy his discomfiture too much for them to mercifully give him back their garments.

"What was that Mr. Tanner?" Ezra returned with just enough lilt in his voice to convince Vin that all three were probably drunk as coots.

"What’s going on?" Alex demanded as she climbed up next to him, investigating the cause of all this shouting.

"We have a problem," Vin cleared his throat, uncertain how to tell her.

"No, no," she shook her head with a sarcastic smile. "You have a problem. They’re  _your_  friends and you’re going to look awful silly when you have to go down there and get my clothes."

"I ain’t going out there buck naked!" Vin fairly squealed. His idea of being undressed was not wearing his hat let alone, walking out in the open completely nude. Oh, he was going to make them  _pay_. He did not know how but he was going to do it! "When I get my hands on you, I’m gonna kick all your asses from here to kingdom come!" Vin roared angrily.

"Just as long as we get to see yours first!" Buck sang out in response and further caused Vin to smolder where he stood poised at edge of the tank.

"No one out here at this time of night huh?" Alex looked at him, trying not to get angry because it was hardly his fault that his friends were a bunch of juvenile pranksters. "Good call cowboy." She replied.

"This ain’t my fault!" He said exasperated, trying to make her believe him while not becoming more enraged by the sound of laughter drifting up from below.

"Well one of us is going down there and I can tell you Vin Tanner, that it is NOT going to be me." She stared at him folding her arms and feeling decidedly vulnerable at this time. "I mean I could go if you like but I’m sure you’d rather those idiots down there to see your ass rather than mine."

Well, she got him there.

"I’m going to kill them." Vin grumbled as he took a deep breath and steeled himself inwardly for the embarrassment. "I am going to fucking kill them."

On that note, Alex remembered something even more disturbing that exposure at the lack of clothing. She leaned over the edge and barked at their tormentors. "Just how long have you morons been down there?"

"Long enough to know that you’re quite the stud Vin!" JD giggled and Alex knew the kid had to be blind stinking drunk to be so forward. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and she suddenly felt a headache coming on in the midst of a diabolic plan of vengeance forming inside her head. She discarded the plan to have them stripped naked, covered in honey and tied to an anthill because of the logistical problems and the location of so much honey.

"You have no shame!" She barked back at them, feeling the same ire that Vin was experiencing at the moment.

"At least give Alex back her clothes!" Vin snapped, horrified that their privacy had been breached and fuming that their passionate exchange a short time ago had been overhead. He renewed his vow to have them all die a terrible death when he caught up to them and then smoldered realizing that he would have to do it wearing nothing.

"Only if you come down and get it yourself." JD retorted.

"Don’t worry," Alex kissed him on the lips and then decided against doing that too much because on top of his having to wander out in the open without a stitch on, this was not the time for him to  _rise_  to the occasion. "We’ll get them back.." She glared into the darkness and frowned deeper hearing the chortles and drunken laughter of Buck, Ezra and JD.

"Damn straight, we will." He grumbled, preparing himself to leave the safety of the tank to make the humiliating trip to retrieve their clothes. "You hear that, I’m going to kill you guys when I get down there!" Vin shouted again, feeling some need to reinforce that threat because of his vulnerable and not to mention somewhat chilly perspective at the moment.

"You still got to come down here to get your clothes, Vin!" JD retorted and reaffirmed Vin’s desire to have them all skinned alive when he got to them.

"First things first," Alex replied, "Get our clothes and then, " she looked at him with a slow smile stealing across her face when she realized how their revenge was to be delivered. "Then I’m going to show those jerks what can be done with a little potassium nitrate."

He looked at her blankly. "A little what?" He asked not recognizing the substance of which she was speaking.

"Salt peter, my love." She met his gaze with a perfectly vengeful smile. "Salt peter."


	3. World's End

 

The mood had been set.

In her nursery, Elena was fast asleep and would be (hopefully) for at least the next three hours. The anticipation Buck felt after Inez had whispered gently in his ear, with soft tones of seduction oozing from every word was enough to make him pass out from the sheer expectation of it. Intimacy had been impossible following the birth of the baby, and Buck had not been so forward as to impress his desires upon his wife before she was ready. After all, though they were married and had conceived a child together, they had only made love once during all that time. Their marriage had come so quickly upon them, there was little time to familiarize themselves with the physical intimacy that came with long standing relationships.

It appeared she was quite willing to accommodate him tonight, and for a man who until a few months ago was accustomed to spending almost every night with a woman, the fast had been long and painful. Still, he had been determined to prove to Inez that he could be faithful to her throughout the length of her pregnancy and was equally careful not to rush her after the baby had been born. Besides the physical after effects of birth, which she had to recover from, Buck knew that it was a big step to move into this phase of their relationship, so he had been determined not to rush.

However, as he imagined her waiting for him in their bedroom, dusky skin bare, recalling that blissful night together where she had taken charge and led him into the most searing sexual experience of his life, Buck felt his heart pounding with anticipation. He pictured her smooth skin under his hands again, the curve of her breast in his palms and the mind numbing pleasure of her incredible lips delivering ecstasy. Letting out a deep sigh as he went to join her inside the bedroom, he could see the crack of amber light emanating from the door that was slightly ajar. Swallowing deeply and praying to God if he was up there to let his little Rose sleep peacefully in her crib for at least an hour, Buck entered the room and scented the slight whiff of something sweet in the air.

Inez, was waiting for him in bed, not dressed and only partially covered by a thin sheet of cotton that exposed enough for him to take a deep breath at the sight of her glorious curves. While he could not see all of her, he saw enough to remind himself why he was such a lucky man. The pregnancy had affected her figure only slightly, with very few stretch marks, but to Buck they were hardly noticeable and he envisioned tracing the outline of each one with his fingertips when he finally was allowed to explore her.

"Are you sure?" he asked breathlessly, not wishing to sound overly eager, even though she was killing him with anticipation.

"Its time Buck," she whispered with a look of yearning in her eyes that almost brought him undone.

"You ain’t hearing any argument from me," he grinned as he closed the door behind him and made another silent prayer that he was willing to do anything for the Amighty tomorrow.

Just as long as he was not interrupted  _tonight_.

* * *

"This has never happened to me before." Ezra Standish said dumbfounded as he sat up in bed, looking mystified by the most embarrassing situation to ever befall him in his adult life.

"Ezra, its not a big deal." Julia said sympathetically, never knowing what to say to a man in situations like this. Not that it had happened to her that many times in the past. It was so hard…oh  _wrong_  choice of words…so difficult to know how to assuage an ego after such an undignified moment. Inwardly, Julia would not have minded an early night anyway, which was probably why she was in such good humor about this instead of being offended. However, she had to admit a certain amount of wicked amusement in how desponded he looked as he sat up in bed, legs folded, without a stitch on, trying to work out why he had not…..well had felt…..damn, she was not good at this!

"It is to me." he grumbled, not wishing to be unkind, but his nerves were rather frayed at the moment. Here was the woman he loved, naked before him, luminous skin waiting for his touch, with that fiery colored hair and those amazing eyes staring at him without a hint of reproach at his inability to….oh this was so humiliating! What was wrong with him? He felt the desire for her that he always did, wanted more than anything to make love him and yet as he looked down, nothing was happening! Not even the slightest reaction!

"Look," she sidled up to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed the tender skin behind his neck which usually produced the results lacking at the moment and the cause of so much embarrassment. "Sometimes these things just happen, maybe you are a little tired."

"I do not recall having a problem like this before." he said, folding his arms and curling his lips into the slightest hint of a pout as if he were a little boy preparing to throw a tantrum. "I am at the prime of my life! This is the sort of thing that happens to older men not me!" he declared with exasperation.

Julia rolled her eyes, wondering if it was best to just give up on this whole idea of trying to make him feel better. "Maybe you were trying too hard…."

He winced at her choice of words and gave her a look that spoke volumes.

"Oh boy." she swore under her breath. "I meant to say that maybe you should relax and we’ll try again later. I’m sure things will be alright once you get your mind off it." Julia let out a sigh of relief at being able to deliver that sentence without invoking any mental picture that would only make things worse.

"I just do not comprehend why this would happen. I am not under any extraordinary pressure, in fact events at present are transpiring as I always wanted. I just do not understand how this could happen." He continued to ramble, "I have never had any trouble in that area in my entire life. I mean its not like I have not managed to perform prior to this, and you are certainly not ugly or undesirable."

"Thanks." Julia said unamused, but reminding herself that this was a sensitive issue and involuntarily found herself thinking with a sadistic smile,  _apparently not sensitive enough_ , that he was going through something difficult and she should be more supportive. "Well I think we should just get some sleep, we can try again in the morning and I’m sure you’ll be up to your old self again."

Damn! She groaned at the use of the word  _up_  and saw him stiffen with annoyance at that word. She was just no good at this! "I mean not up but back, that’s what I meant, back to your old self again." Julia tried to recover but could see him starting to climb out of bed in reaction to those words. Despite the absurdity of the whole situation, she knew that this was indeed a humiliating experience for him and her making light of things was probably not going to help. "Ezra, I’m sorry. Just come back to bed, please?" She implored. "I didn’t mean to embarrass you!"

  
Unfortunately, Ezra was not listening and was already striding out of the room, bundle of clothes in hand, with his chin raised high, since nothing else was going to be doing that tonight. "I’ll see you tomorrow." he replied as he paused at the door.

"Okay," she conceded, understanding his need for some time alone. "Just don’t worry too much about it please, I’m sure this is just temporary. You’re just having a bad spell. It happens to everybody at some point, I mean men that is. Women are lucky, we can fake it…."

At this point, she decided to just shut up and let him go.

* * *

He could not believe this was happening.

JD and Casey were sitting by the creek near the Well’s place. She had snuck out of her bedroom and they were both dipping their feet in cool water as they talked about all manner of things familiar to young love as they watched the moonlit sky high above their heads. She was wearing a dress for a change with her hair loose, and Casey never looked prettier than when she wore her hair down. Waves of mahogany crowned her smooth skin and JD wanted nothing more than to bury his hands in those silky strands.

He had been behaving like the perfect gentleman when suddenly Casey had leaned over and kissed him, which was completely out of character for her. He felt his head swim as she kissed him gently, as unsure about initiating contact as he was about receiving it. He closed his eyes and felt her tongue probe nervously past his teeth, tasting him as her lips parted wider and she delivered to him a soul searching kiss of passion. JD thought he might just die from the pleasure of her mouth exploring his so delicately. Instinctively, his hand reached up to cup her breast and was even further surprised when she did not slap him or worse yet, push him into the creek. Through the rough fabric of her dress, he could feel the curve of her breast and instinctively squeezed gently.

"Oh JD." She moaned in his mouth and a surge of passion flared from his finger tips which burned with sensation of her softness in his hand and traveled up his arms before centering in that part of him below the waist where there could be no doubt of his arousal.

Except nothing happened.

JD was a healthy young man with all the urges and predilections that came of having raging hormones. Until now and he was even certain that his circumstance was about to change, he had been the only one present at his sexual awakening and he knew enough about his responses to pleasure to be certain that everything was working. However, at a time when he really needed to have everything performing as usual, nothing was happening!

He was so shocked that he broke the kiss between himself and Casey and glanced at his groin, confused and bewildered why he was not suffering a raging erection by now. How many times had he sat up and dreamed about touching Casey this way. There were times when just the idea of making love to her was enough to make his body react. He could not fathom why his body was acting this way.

"Is something wrong JD?" Casey stared at him anxiously, worried that she might have done something wrong. She was so aroused by his mouth against hers that she was actually considering going further tonight than just a kiss. After all, she was certainly old enough and as she had once said to Vin Tanner, prior to reducing the man to a gibbering wreck, she had wild oats of her own to sow. She was intent on sowing them tonight.

"No," JD shook his head, having no idea how he was going to explain it to her. "I’m just fine." He smiled nervously and resumed kissing her, this time taking the initiative in an attempt to engender more of a response from himself. His tongue slipped past her teeth and he devoured her lips in a clumsy attempt to inflame his passion. His fingers snaked past the fabric of her dress and waited for Casey to say stop, but she did not. Eventually, he touched skin and managed to slip most of his fingers past the neck line of her dress until his finger tips grazed the tight bud of her nipple. She arched into his hand upon contact and JD could not believe she was letting him go as far as this and possibly further, when he could do nothing about it.

It was not fair!

"Casey!" He quickly withdrew and jumped to his feet on the wooden platform upon which they were sitting. "We can’t do this!" He replied, absolutely hating that he had to say these words.

"What is it JD?" she asked equally confused and not wanting him to stop when they were poised on the edge of something wonderful. "Don’t you want to?" she asked, more than a little hurt.

"Oh God do I want to but I can’t!" He exclaimed in frustration. "I don’t know what’s wrong with me but I can’t!"

Casey, proving quite spectacularly the adage of hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, rose to her feet in a huff and adjusted her dress back into respectability. "Maybe you just don’t want to!" She cried out, trying to hide her embarrassment and her tears. "Maybe, I’m not what you want!"

"Oh no Casey," JD cried horrified. "That ain’t it at all. Its just…." He suddenly broke off in his explanation because he just could  _not_  tell her what was wrong.

"Oooh!" Casey fumed at his abrupt silence and took it completely opposite. Enraged, she stormed past him but not before she shoved him into the water.

The last thing JD Dunne saw of Casey as he plunged head first into the creek was Casey’s skirt flouncing behind her as she walked into the night. As the water enveloped him beneath its dark surface, JD had only thing to say on this entire situation.

At least he did not need a cold shower.

* * *

Nathan Jackson was having a very amusing day.

Buck Wilmington was pacing the floor of his infirmary, looking as if he were about to jump out of his skin at the slightest sound. Even though he had been in Nathan’s infirmary for the last ten minutes, pacing and fast threatening to wear a hole in the floorboards under his feet, Buck had yet to bring up the subject of his visit. Nathan who was at his desk, pouring over the books that he had been given to study for his accreditation examinations that were some months away, finally snapped the book closed in smug expectation of what Buck would tell him when the man finally worked up the nerve.

"Will you just tell me what’s wrong?" Nathan asked finally, his patience at waiting, even though he knew why Buck was here, had finally run its course. "It there something wrong with Elena?" He prompted, hoping that would get things rolling.

"No." Buck snapped and struggled to reveal the specifics of his humiliation the night before. "The baby is fine and so Inez. It’s me." he said reluctantly.

Nathan had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing because he was perfectly aware of why Buck was here, just as he had been prepared when JD Dunne had made his appearance this morning. The boy had been beside himself with panic at the possibility that some terrible affliction had befallen him after his experience last night with Casey. Nathan had been forced to keep a straight face throughout the entire interview, because he could not give himself away at least until Buck and Ezra had shown up. Strangely enough, Nathan had expected to see Buck here before Ezra considering what an inflated perception Buck had about his libido and his so called ‘animal magnetism’. The gambler had an even worse time articulating his problem, which for Ezra, was saying something.

"What’s wrong?" Nathan asked. "You feeling poorly?"

"Not exactly." Buck said uncomfortably and then knew he had no choice but to tell the healer if he wanted to help on this subject, no matter how unpleasant the idea of revealing such a thing might be. "I had a little trouble last night."

Nathan showed no reaction. "What kind trouble?" He pursed his lips in a fierce desire to remain sober in his expression.

"Well," Buck hid his face behind his hand as he explained. "I was all set to get to know my wife, you know, in the biblical way and nothing happened."

"She changed her mind?" Nathan asked innocently.

"No, she didn’t change her mind!" he snapped. "Nothing happened with me!" he said, frustrated that he had to go into detail even further. Was this not humiliating enough as it was?

"Oh…you mean  _nothing_  happened?" Nathan said pretending to understand even though he had been aware of the situation since Alexandra Styles had dropped in on him yesterday afternoon and told him he might be getting these visits today.

"Yes," Buck rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Nothing happened? I mean I’ve never had a problem like that before. Ever! I mean what it if it’s permanent? Inez was mighty disappointed! She actually thought that I might have been fooling around on her!"

It was getting too hard. Nathan’s stomach muscles were starting to hurt from trying to keep himself composed. He took a deep breath in an effort to control the riotous laughter threatening to overflow from him at any moment. "It guess it was pretty embarrassing huh?" he managed to say in a calm voice.

"You damn right it is!" He growled back at the header. "I spent the rest of the night trying to convince Inez that I was faithful and that I hadn’t lost interest because she had the baby!" Buck looked like he was in genuine distress and to that extent Nathan had to confess to feeling a little sorry for him. He supposed it was time to put the man out of his misery.

"Such things can be pretty humiliating," Nathan agreed and then raised his eyes with a hint of the devil in the smile that stole across his lips. "Almost as humiliating as being caught in a water tower without a stitch of clothing and being spied upon while having sex with someone."

Buck stared at him for a frozen moment as it started to dawn upon him what had happened. "Wait a minute….."

"Buck," Nathan eased into his chair with a widening grin on his face. "Never,  _ever_  mess with a doctor whose nurse also happens to be the bartender at the place you drink."

"You mean Rain slipped something in my beer?" Buck exclaimed, almost brought to the edge of stupefaction with this bit of information.

"Yep," the healer nodded. "You, Ezra and JD got a good dose of potassium nitrate."

"What the hell is that?" Buck almost squeaked.

"Its called salt peter and aside from being used as fertilizer," Nathan was reveling in the expression on Buck’s face and almost wished he could be present when Buck finally brought the news to JD and Ezra. "It tends to kill a man’s ability to … rise to the occasion."

"Oh my god!" The big man gasped in plain horror that such a terrible substance could exist in nature. "It ain’t permanent is it?" he asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"No," Nathan chuckled. "It should wear off by tonight." The healer started to cave into the absurdity of the situation. "I promised Miss Alex I wouldn’t tell any of you what it was until I saw all of you. You think you had it bad, I think JD will be crying into his beer for the next year." Nathan laughed out loud, unrestrained in his complete enjoyment of his friends’ discomfiture. Still, having heard what Buck, Ezra and JD had done to Vin and Alex a few nights ago, it was just punishment.

"I’m going to kill her." Buck fumed as he strode towards the door. "I swear to God, lady or not, I’m going to kill her!"

* * *

Five strangers entered the town of Four Corners in the late morning, dust trailing them in a small cloud as they made their way up the main street. There was a time when their arrival would have sparked interest by everyone in the locality of Four Corners. These days however, with the railway just beyond the horizon and new people moving in and out of the area on a daily basis, their arrival was just one of many groups moving in an out of town. The leader of this contingent, a heavyset man, stocky and well muscled from years of riding across one end of the west to the other, surveyed the town and saw a thriving community.

When he had been given the order to bring the criminal in, he had taken the liberty of investigating the man to be arrested. It always gave him a better sense of the prey when he knew something about them. What he learned did not make him happy to accept the assignment, but unfortunately his was not to question the decision of his superiors, no matter how it might make him feel personally. The person he was required to bring in was a young tracker who had been accused of murder. Such men usually went to ground and seldom limited themselves to one death. Someone who could kill a perfect stranger in exchange for a bounty that was hardly worth the price of a death sentence, was usually a habitual offender.

Vin Tanner did not seem that way.

What made the issue even more clouded was that Tanner had been cooling his heels in this community, acting as one of seven lawmen hired to protect the town from the bad element. Hardly the kind of behavior to support criminal tendencies. Federal Marshal Buford T Jamieson had seen enough strange circumstances to know that an innocent man could be blamed for a crime he did not commit, and by the same token, he had seen guilty men act as if they were responsible for nothing. It did not matter whether he believed Vin Tanner to be guilty or innocent, it was only his responsibility to make certain the man faced his judges in a courtroom.

The law could make its judgment then.

"Where do you think Tanner will be?" Langstrom, his Deputy Marshal inquired as he rode by Jamieson’s gray mare. Unlike Jamieson, who had rough skin, was in his late fifties and moved surprisingly quick for a man his size, Langstrom, who was not a native of this country, had the fair look of his foreign origins.

"Well he is one of the lawmen in this town," Jamieson drawled and adjusted the wide brimmed hat on his head as he continued studying the town, taking note of where everything was. Even though he had doubts to Tanner’s guilt in this matter, he anticipated trouble from the men with whom he rode, especially when the number of them was seven. "I’d say he would not be too much out of sight. We won’t move in on him immediately, I want to make sure that we don’t get a fight from his friends."

"You think they’ll interfere?" Langstrom asked.

"Yeah, I think they will." Jamieson nodded. Men who rode together for no other reason than friendship had deep loyalties for one another, and Jamieson had no doubt that if they tried to take Tanner from here by force, he and his men would have a fight on their hands.

"But they’re the law." Langstrom pointed out, aware of Tanner’s companions from what Jamieson had told him and the others.

"Doesn’t mean they won’t stick up for their friend." the Marshal replied. "Besides, from all accounts, when he was legal, Tanner was one of the best bounty hunters around. They say he used to live with the Indians and learnt their ways, including tracking. If he makes it out of town and goes to ground, we may never find him."

"I don’t like this," the younger man grumbled. "This entire thing smells bad. Why would you kill a man and disappear, only to resurface in a town like this to act as the law? It don’t make sense."

"I don’t know," Jamieson shook his head. "Maybe some places are worth defending."

"Enough to leave yourself wide open for anyone who wants to claim a bounty on your head?" Langstrom said dubiously. "I wish that Sheriff would have just left this alone." he confessed as they directed their horses to the livery.

"He’s an appointed official," Jamieson said speaking in the man’s defense. "Besides, I get the impression that someone in Tascosa wants this thing settled once and for all."

"Someone with influence I bet." the Deputy remarked, but could not shake the feeling that this arrest was going to be anything but simple.

* * *

A short time after Marshal Jamieson and his deputies had arrived in Four Corners, Alex was taking a stroll down the boardwalk, with Vin Tanner in attendance. It was one of her quieter days and she was taking the afternoon to run some errands, an undertaking Vin was happy to accompany her on since he got to spend time with the love of his life. Of course, as co-conspirator to the plan of getting their vengeance on Buck, Ezra and JD for their intrusion on their evening a few nights ago, Vin was just as eager to see the reaction from the trio when they finally learnt who was responsible for their ‘embarrassing’ condition.

Vin was quite the prankster himself, and thus he was delighted to know that when Alex was properly motivated, she could be equally as devious in her own right. Normally, she tended to stay out of the lunacy that was generated by the boys and their pranks, but the invasion of a few nights ago had inspired her outrage and thus she had come up with this perfect revenge upon those who had wounded her dignity. Enlisting Rain in their scheme, it was Vin who delivered the debilitating substance to the young woman yesterday prior to the arrival of the seven in the Standish Tavern. They had been playing escort to a shipment of munitions being transported to the army garrison located between Four Corners and Sweetwater, so Vin knew that the first place the lawmen would head after that taxing day was straight to the tavern for a drink.

Rain had played her part of the ruse to perfection, putting just enough of the powdery substance in the drinks of Buck Wilmington, Ezra Standish and JD Dunne respectively, without them suspecting a thing. Vin could wished he could have seen their faces when the salt peter did its work and hoped that the experience was just as embarrassing as his having to run after them in the dark, buck naked, chasing his and Alex’s clothes. Each time he thought about that experience, it only reaffirmed Vin’s belief that Alex’s revenge thought sweet, might have been served better if he could have strung them up by their toes at the same time.

"You think they’ve been to see Nathan yet?" Alex asked after they had emerged from Gloria Potter’s store.

"Well speaking as a man, if I had their troubles? That’s the first place I’d go." Vin said with a boyish grin of smug satisfaction.

"I’ll bet." she said with a suggestive gleam in her eyes.

People were used to seeing them together, even though many often commented that they made a strange couple. Although Alex was not exactly white, it was difficult to consider her anything else because she was so refined and had proven herself to be an exceptional healer. Although she was educated abroad and her voice had that unusual accent that faintly resembled rich city folk from the East, Alex had proven herself to be something of a paradox, almost as much as Vin himself. It was hard to imagine that someone so rough and tumble had the heart of poet, and though he was shy, everyone in Four Corners knew that in Chris Larabee’s absence, Vin Tanner kept things under control.

While there were rumors of their relationship being somewhat scandalous, people only had to look at Vin Tanner and Alexandra Styles to know that they were very much in love.

"Alex," Vin approached a more important subject, wondering whether or not this was wise but the issue had remained in limbo for too long and it was time to discuss it seriously. "Maybe we ought to think about getting married."

Of all the thing he could have said, that was the one she least expected. She stopped walking and turned to him. Alex looked in his blue eyes and saw that he was serious. Her surprise showed and for a moment, she did not know how to answer.

"You’re making me nervous," Vin said taking note of the silence after he made that declaration even though it did not worry him.

"I thought you wanted to wait." she finally overcame her surprise long enough to speak.

"I do," he answered honestly. "I would like to get this price off my head, but I don’t know how long that’s gonna be and we’ve waited long enough."

"I agree." she nodded slowly, her heart pounding with anticipation even though she always knew that he was always going to be the only man in the world she would want as her husband. Hearing Vin speak of it now as more than just a vague idea that they might some day indulge had taken her breath away. Never in her life had she loved anyone the way she loved him. It was quite something to know that there was someone in the world for whom she was willing die for, and equally wonderful to know that the intensity of that love was returned. They had been passionate, romantic fools from the day they met, even though they were not certain that they loved each other then.

"Good," Vin said with a smile, pleased when he was able to shake her equilibrium because she always managed to do the same to him with seemingly no effort whatsoever. "Cause I want to be with you, not just a few hours a night or whenever we get a chance, always."

"I want that too." Alex whispered, unable to keep the emotion from her voice.

"I know I ain’t got much in the ways of money and marrying a man with a price on his head ain’t exactly the most proper thing in the world…."

"Will you just shut up and kiss me?" Alex sighed.

Vin broke into a wide smile and leaned over to press his lips against Alex’s, not caring who saw it when suddenly a voice boomed loudly.

"Oh I’m glad you two are having so much fun!" Buck Wilmington’s angry voice shattered the moment before their lips could make contact.

Alex rolled her eyes while Vin just shook his head in resignation before they composed themselves in light of the momentous decision that they had just reached in their relationship, before straightening up to face Buck and by the looks of it, Ezra and JD as well. No doubt the last of them to see Nathan had probably been informed of how they had happened to suffer their ‘condition’ and now wanted retribution.

"Why hello Mr. Wilmington, Mr. Standish, Mr. Dunne?" Alex said with perfect professional detachment. "How are things today."

"Yeah," Vin added under his breath, straining not to laugh as he said his next words. "What’s up?"

All three faces turned crimson with embarrassment.

"Oh I forgot," Vin rebuked himself and snapped his fingers. "Nothing, I hear."

"You two ought to be ashamed of yourself!" Buck bellowed. "Do you know what we’ve been through?"

"Do tell." Alex remarked sarcastically, staring at them through narrowed eyes as she folded her arms and dared them to say it.

"Poisoning a man ain’t funny!" Buck declared. "Ain’t that right Ezra, JD?"

"Yeah," JD nodded more embarrassed then he was angry. At the moment, he was so relieved that there was no permanent damage that he was not about to complain and in truth, there was a kernel of guilt inside him that could not deny that they had deserved what had been done to them.

"Alexandra," Ezra looked at her reproachfully. "I pride myself on being a gentlemen and I am certain there is some code of honor that doctors are meant to swear to as well, that prevents them from making use of their knowledge in such heinous and cruel acts of illusion?"

"Ezra I wouldn’t…" Vin started to warn the gambler from going down that particular track.

However, Ezra was not listening and continued his tirade. "You have abused your power as a healer by perpetrating this terrible act of vandalism on our persons."

A storm cloud formed in Alex’s eyes with Vin taking a cautionary step backwards and muttering. "I warned you Ezra." He almost felt sorry for the gambler because he knew how fiery Alex could get when her morality as a doctor was questioned.

"Now you listen to me you three jerks," Alex said in a low voice that was little more than a hiss. "What you men did was unforgivable, humiliating and downright rotten so do not quote to me Mr. Standish on a code of honor which incidentally, for us doctors is called the Hippocratic oath. Just be grateful that the potassium nitrate is temporary. Vin wanted to string all of you up by the toes and leave you to the buzzards. Now, I suggest that if you men have plans with the opposite sex tonight, start drinking lots of water. That might put a little lift into things and get you guys  _up_  to speed." She made that last remark with a smile of satisfaction on her face, before turning on her heels and walking off in the other direction.

"You gotta love her," Vin said with an equally satisfied smirk on his face before hurrying to join her.

The trio watched Vin and Alex disappear up the boardwalk, saying nothing even though all of them had been put properly in their place by the tracker and his lovely doctor. Finally, it was Ezra who broke the silence because being Ezra, he could never be quiet for very long. In this, he could only be rivaled by possibly JD whose youthful exuberance often made the young man unaware when he should be quiet.

"Mr. Wilmington," Ezra said with a frown because he was not amused no matter how justified Alex and Vin had been in their revenge. "The next time you have an idea for a little bit of levity at the expense of one of our comrades and their ladies? Count me out."

* * *

A few discreet inquiries made around Four Corners soon told Marshall Jamieson everything he needed to know about Vin Tanner’s present whereabouts. To his surprise, most people spoke about the outlaw not as if he were a criminal or anyone to fear but as a rather affable young man, shy but honest and always willing to help. Hardly the kind of man one would think to be a murderer. Jamieson discovered that while the gunslinger Chris Larabee was the undisputed leader of the seven lawmen in town, Tanner was his trusted second and in his absence usually gave the orders. Despite his growing trepidation that perhaps a miscarriage of justice was being perpetrated here because his gut instinct told him that Tanner simply did not sound like a criminal, Jamieson had no choice but to carry out the arrest. He was after all, a creature of duty and despite his personal reservations, he had could not ignore that personal programming, no matter how much he may wish to.

As the sun set over the horizon of Four Corners, Jamieson had learnt everything he needed to know about the probable location of Vin Tanner at this point. It appeared that Tanner had been in the company of a local doctor, surprisingly enough, a woman. It was reported that they were engaged to be married and were extremely passionate about each other, bordering on the scandalous. People had seen them together in town today and if he was to be anywhere at this moment, it was probably with her at her home, where her clinic was situated.

It was difficult to tell for certain if Tanner was at the place when Jamieson, Langstrom and the rest of the deputies converged on the premises. With the clinic occupying the lower half of the structure and the doctor’s residence above ground, it was impossible to gauge just how many people were in the building. Jamieson preferred to take Tanner alive because he honestly believed that if Tanner was innocent, then a trial might be the only way of sorting this mess out if there was some kind of injustice taking place. Fortunately, there was no horse hitched to the post in front of the home and if Tanner did manage to elude them, he would be on foot, which meant he could not get far.

Jamieson wanted this to be as non-confrontational as possible, hoping that Tanner would come quietly, unwilling to risk his lady in any kind of gunfight in a fruitless attempt to escape. Nevertheless, Jamieson still positioned his men around the building as he and Langstrom made their way up the steps that led up the side of the house to the residence itself. While neither man had their guns drawn, both were poised for an escape if one was forthcoming. Tanner had managed to remain elusive from justice for almost three years, there was every reason to assume that he would object strenuously to the end of that period of freedom.

Jamieson was here to see that it did.

* * *

"Did you see their faces?" Alex giggled as she continued the stir the casserole that was boiling quite briskly on the stove.

"I know I ain’t forgetting it for awhile." Vin said with a smile as he sat at the head of the kitchen table, taking a deep breath of the aromatic scent of spices and herbs that wafted through the room as she cooked. It made him wonder how soon dinner would be ready, as his stomach rumbled in anticipation of the meal. Although he often teased her that she could not cook, Alex was quite adept at the art but seldom had time to do it as she was often too busy with doctoring and all the other chores women found compelled to do around the house.

"I think we’ll be left alone the next time we decide to go to the water tower." Alex winked at him with a perfectly wicked look of suggestion.

"I don’t know whether I want be marrying a wild thing like you." He teased, drawing her away from the stove with that remark and bringing Alex to him.

"Liar." She whispered as she sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Vin’s hand slid up her back as Alex lowered her head and he captured her mouth in a deep searching kiss. It never ceased to surprise him how enthralling the scent of her skin could be to him. When he was with her like this, he never felt more alive or aware of anything, which seemed to further convince him that he could not bear his existence without her. His mouth slid down her smooth neck, his hands running up and down the rough fabric of her dress, suddenly forgetting all about dinner and remembering with a surge of arousal, that it had been on this very table that he had first taken her...

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Damn." he muttered in her ear as Alex let out a disappointed sigh.

"It’s always at dinner," she grumbled as she pushed herself reluctantly off him. "In the history of the world, I don’t think there’s ever been a doctor who has made it to the first act of a play or been early for dinner."

Vin adjusted himself, glad they had not become more passionate than that because it was so difficult to explain to company, not to mention embarrassing. Besides, he’d had just about enough people seeing his exposed body parts during the last few days.

Alex went to answer the door and twisted the doorknob to find herself standing before two men she did not recognize. The stern expression on both their faces put her on guard immediately and she was suddenly glad that Vin was here. "Yes, can I help you?"

"Good evening ma’am," the older of the two tipped his hat politely. "Sorry to bother you at supper time but I believe a Vin Tanner might be here."

Alex froze. She had no idea where the instinct came from but the minute he had asked for Vin, she just  _knew_. She knew that everything they had just dreamed of had come to a crashing halt with the appearance of this man at her doorstep. "No I’m sorry," she said with perfect calm, showing no expression on her face. "I haven’t seen him today." She started to close the door hoping that was enough. It was not.

A hand stopped her from shutting it completely. "Ma’am, can we talk inside?"

"Alex, what is it?" Vin rose to his feet, his hand instinctively moving towards his gun.

"Its nothing," she hissed, aware that his voice had now given him away to the men outside that she was not alone in here. "I’ll handle it."

"Ma’am, if Tanner is in there, you’re harboring a criminal!" The loud voice boomed through the door and told Vin exactly what the situation was.

"Get out of here Vin!" she cried out. "Please!"

Vin remained where he was, refusing to just run out and leave her like some coward. For the last three years, he knew this day would come and finally it was here. Unlike the marshal who came here just before Alex’s arrival in town under the paid instruction of Ely Joe, Vin had could tell by the authority in that voice that this was no deception. If they knew about Alex then it was likely the place was surrounded and he was not leaving her here to face the consequences of protecting him or aiding in his escape. Chris was right. He could not keep running forever and sooner or later, he would have to stop and face the charge of murder over his head. If the man behind the door was forcing him to make that decision instead of lingering in the illusion that all was right in his world, then perhaps it was time Vin did. In any case, this was not the place or time for him to flee because it would not be himself he would hurt, it would be Alex and Vin could not live with that in any shape or form. He was not going to endanger Alex for anything, not even his life.

"Alex open the door." he said quietly.

"No!" She stared at him, eyes filled with terror at the possibility of what he was suggesting. "You have to go!" she cried out. "You can’t let them take you! I couldn’t stand it! Please Vin for me go!" There were tears in her eyes as she made this plea which cut his heart to ribbons seeing the pain in her eyes but he could not leave.

"Tanner!" the man behind the door declared, having heard enough of the exchange and guessing by Alex’s behavior that the quarry was close. "We have the house surrounded!" he continued firmly. "Come out without a fuss and we’ll see to it that you get a fair trial. I promise you son, you’ll have your day in court."

"Vin!" Alex started to cry. "Please leave!"

Vin let out a deep breath because her sorrow was a knife piercing his heart and he would have done anything to make that anguish disappear from her eyes but he could not oblige, not this time. "I’m sorry darling," he shook his head and walked towards her. "I ain’t gonna let them hurt you because I got away from them."

"I don’t care about me!" She sobbed. "I care about you!" Her tears were coming freely because she was filled with anger and frustration at being able to do nothing while they just came into her house and took him away. She could not even think beyond their taking him, if she were to even begin contemplating her existence without him in her life she would go completely to pieces. As it was, Alex was not far from that when Vin pulled her gently from the door and allowed it to part wide, giving the duo standing by the doorway entry into her home.

"Alex," Vin said gently taking her hand in his. "I have to go."

"I won’t let you!" Alex exclaimed and embraced him hard, believing illogically that if she held onto him, he would not be taken away from her like this.

Vin had to control his emotions because he knew they had reached a crossroads in their time together. At this point it could go any way. If he asked her to abandon everything that she knew to come away with him, he knew she would do so, but Vin would not have her live in fear of someone always stepping out of the shadows in pursuit. He loved her too much for that. Breaking away from her, Vin pressed his mouth to hers in a kiss of passion, suddenly aware of how much he would lose when he walked through that door in the company of the men before him. He did not want it to be the last time because just as vital as he was to her existence, Alex had become a part of his. If he could not be with her, he would rather die, and there was apart of him that was unwilling to give her up, even now.

"I have to go." he repeated and turned away because if he kept looking at her, his courage would give out and he would end up doing something stupid they would both regret. Taking a deep breath, he reached for the Winchester in his holster and handed it to the man before them.

"That’s a wise choice." the man replied, taking the weapon from him. "I’m Federal Marshall Buford Jamieson. This here is my Deputy Keith Langstrom. We are charged by the State of Texas to arrest you and bring you back to the town of Tascosa to stand trial for the death of one Jesse Kincaid."

Vin merely nodded, casting a glance at Alex who was trying to control her tears but losing the battle. "Vin, I’ll be there with you." she said after a moment. "We’ll get you help. If its trial you’re facing, we can fight this thing."

"Listen to the lady," Jamieson responded. "She’s right. If you ain’t done this crime, then we’ll get things sorted out in Tascosa. I promise you there won’t be no lynching on my watch."

Vin looked up at the man, surprised by the compassion he saw there. It was not often that kindness came without some form of price and a plan began to form in Vin’s mind at that moment, even though he felt ashamed of himself for even considering it. He had no choice. In the last few seconds, he realized that he could not leave it to chance that he might be freed in Tascosa. The idea of never knowing what it was like to be with Alex again was even more terrifying to him then the dying that came with a sentence of guilt.

Langstrom stepped forward with handcuffs but Jamieson spoke up. "We ain’t gonna need that are we son?" The older man stared at him.

"No," Vin shook his head and felt ashamed because Jamieson really  _did_  need it.

"Alex," Vin looked at her as Jamieson nudged him toward the door. "I love you and we will get through this. I promise you."

"I know," she said a little more composed now but not by much. She wiped the tears from her reddened cheeks, the color visible through her golden coloring. "I love you Vin." she whispered and watched as they led him out of the house. She stood rooted to the spot, unable to think or move until the sounds of their footsteps became distant. She tried not to let it overwhelm her and knew that she was fighting a losing battle. When it came to Vin Tanner, all the calm and professional detachment she thought she had attained with such practiced control, could not stem the feelings she had for him. Alex lingered there a few more seconds, trying to pull herself together before she realized there was only one thing left to do.

_Get Chris._

* * *

Mary had meant to tell Chris about the baby, but with Inez’s visit and his subsequent evening spent with the rest of the seven in the saloon, she never quite managed to give him the news. The next morning, he and the others had left town to escort some army shipment and Mary did not want him saddled with the news when he was going into a life-threatening situation. The last thing he needed to know when he might be called on to fight was that he was soon to be a father. Besides, her news was not something that was to be blurted out while he was preparing to ride off into God only knew what danger, it had to be delivered with occasion and finesse.

Thus Julia had taken Billy for the evening and Mary had prepared a special dinner and Chris was operating under the assumption that all this preparation was foreplay to an exciting night of lovemaking. Well, he was a man after all, Mary sighed. He could not be faulted for succumbing to the basest of his instincts, and after she told him the news, that part of his assumption could be acted upon. Mary certainly did not mind. After all, she enjoyed their intimacies just as much as he and in truth, missed him dearly when he did not share her bed.

"This smells great." Chris remarked, enjoying watching her prepare the table for dinner. "Can I help?" He inquired, not subscribing to the belief that such things were exclusively women’s work.

"No," she said always delighted when he asked even though she rarely took him up on the offer. It was just nice that he asked. "I’m almost done." she answered, laying the plates over the place mats.

"Okay," Chris said as he lifted the lid of the dish to see what culinary masterpiece she had concocted for him tonight. It certainly smelt good and after a day on the trail, eating Buck’s cooking, this was just heavenly. Hot steam escaped form under the lid, bringing with it a wonderful aroma that made him look forward to the eating almost as much as the evening alone with her.

He was about to dip his finger into the stew when suddenly Mary paused what she was doing and gave him a stern look.

"Use....a.....spoon."

"Right," he frowned wishing women were not so civilized.

Reaching for the utensil in question, he was about to enclose his palm around it when suddenly, he heard a loud frantic pounding against the door. Immediately, he exchanged a concerned glance with Mary and forgot all about the meal, expending enough time to put down the lid before he strode across the room towards the door with Mary following him closely. He reached the door first and pulled it open to see a very distraught Alexandra Styles standing at the porch. Her face was red with tears and frankly, the sheer panic in her eyes shocked him. Chris had never seen her so distressed.

"Chris! You gotta come! They’ve got Vin!" She said this without any pause. "They’re taking him away!"

"Alex calm down," he stepped forward and placed his hands on her arms to make her draw breath so that he could get some sense out of her string of disjointed words. "Who is taking Vin?"

"A Federal Marshall......" she stuttered. "He said his name is Jamieson."

"Buford T Jamieson?" Mary asked, having heard of the name and the reputation. If Jamieson was here then Vin was in a  _lot_  of trouble.

"That’s him!" Alex nodded. "He just came up to my door and took Vin!" Alex started to lose control again, her tears coming once more.

"Jamieson’s a good man." Chris declared, aware of the same information that Mary had. If they had sent Jamieson after Vin then it was no ruse like the last federal marshal that had come searching for the tracker. This was a genuine attempt to bring him back to Tascosa. Still, if Vin were to reach Tascosa, it was likely he would hang long before he ever got to trial.

"How can you say that?" Alex gasped. "He’s taking Vin back to hang for God’s sake!"

"Mary," Chris looked at his wife in an unspoken plea to handle the doctor while he went and rounded the others up. Fortunately, Buck was the only one out of town. The rest of the seven were still here and Chris had to act quickly. He could do that better without having to contend with Alex’s state of mind at the moment.

"Go," Mary ordered not even needing to hear any instructions, guessing instinctively what he needed to say. "I’ll take of Alex."

"I don’t need taken care of!" Alex gushed and Mary waved Chris to get moving, signaling she would deal with this. There was little time to waste as it was.

Chris nodded, giving her a look of warm affection before hurrying past them both into the night.

* * *

"I didn’t do it, you know." Vin replied as he was marched towards the jailhouse by Jamieson and his men. As anticipated, it was too late in the day for them to start towards Tascosa and the journey to the Texas Panhandles could not begin until first light. He had guessed that these men were newly arrived in town for if they had been here any length of time, word would have reached Vin before it had come to them reaching Alex’s door.

"It ain’t my place to say whether you did nor not." Jamieson replied stiffly. "My only concern is to get you back to Tascosa and see you stand trial. If you didn’t do it, the law will prove it."

"How?" Vin snorted derisively. "Only man who can prove I was set up is dead."

"You mean Ely Joe." Langstrom guessed.

"He was the one who killed Kincaid. He framed me cause he knew I was getting close." The sharpshooter pleaded his case as they crossed the street and the jailhouse came into view. By now, people were starting to notice that something was wrong, pausing long enough to look at the unfamiliar group of men escorting one of their guardians with guns. Vin tried not to feel like a criminal as their eyes looked at him but he could not help feeling like everything Jamieson and the people of Tascosathought him to be, he could not help feeling like an outlaw.

"Tell it to the judge." Langstrom replied. "It does not make any difference to us."

The ripple of agreement from the other deputies seem to indicate the same of them as well and Vin knew he did not have any time. While he felt that Jamieson was a man of his word, he was not so sure about Langstrom and the others.

"Say that gal of yours really a doctor?" The deputy inquired.

"Yes." Vin retorted, not liking that Alex’s name was brought up. The pain of leaving her was still too fresh and he hated that she had been forced to watch him being led away like an outlaw. Was it only this morning, he had talked about marrying her? The irony of it left a sour taste in his belly.

"She’s mighty pretty," Langstrom remarked. "I wouldn’t mind getting me a piece of that. What’s she like?"

"Keith!" Jamieson barked trying to shut the man up but it was too late.

With lightning reflexes, Vin slammed his elbow into Langstrom’s face and kicked the vulnerable side of Jamieson’s knees, dropping the man to his feet as he snatched the deputy’s gun from his hand and locked his arm around the man’s neck before the others were even aware of what had happened. Pressing the barrel of his gun into Langstrom’s forehead, he pulled the man upright and cocked the gun just to make his point.

"Follow me and I’ll blow his head off." Vin warned.

"Tanner don’t be a fool!" Jamieson shouted, struggling to his feet. "You ain’t helping yourself by doing this."

"I’m sorry Marshall," Vin apologized, genuinely sorry for taking advantage of the man’s kindness. "You seem like a decent man and I believe you when you said I’d not be lynched in your hands but I didn’t kill Kincaid and I ain’t waiting for no judge to say that I did because I can’t prove otherwise."   
  
"This ain’t over Tanner," Jamieson warned. "Even if you make it out of town, I’ll find you and I’ll bring you in. Make no mistake on that."

"I don’t Sir," Vin replied in understanding. "But you have to find me first and that’s  _gonna_  be a problem."

As he withdrew into the darkness, taking advantage of the hostage he had in his grip, Jamieson had a feeling the tracker was right about that.

* * *

By the time Chris had rounded up the rest of the seven, Jamieson and his men were already waiting for him in the jailhouse. With him was Langstrom, who was nursing a nasty gash on the back of his head where Vin had cold cocked him with the butt of his own gun just before taking Peso and riding out of Four Corners. Apparently, the tracker had only required his hostage as far as it took for him to get to his horse and had discarded the deputy soon after. As Nathan tended to the man’s wound, Chris Larabee found himself in the unenviable position of upholding the law in Four Corners and helping his friend. Although he did not voice it to the formidable Marshall Jamieson, Chris knew that his loyalty to Vin would outstrip any devotion to the law.

"You’re the law in town," Jamieson glowered, feeling especially foolish for trusting the young man and not cuffing him when he should have. "Are you going to help us find him?"

Chris stared at the man from the chair he was seated behind the sheriff’s desk. "Maybe."

"There ain’t no maybe about it!" Langstrom declared. "The man’s a fugitive! You’re the law around here, you required to help us!"

"Shut up you idiot!" Jamieson glared at him angrily, mindful of the fact that it was Langstrom’s big mouth that had landed them in this situation. Anyone could clearly see by the way the tracker had left his lady that she was more than just another tumble in the hay and he might take great exception to any insult delivered upon her reputation or her name. Turning back to Chris, he tried to be more reasonable than his younger colleague.

"I know he’s your friend," Jamieson replied, trying to appeal to Larabee’s concern for Tanner. In fact, the concern felt by every member of the group that had been guardians to Four Corners. From the healer who was patching up Langstrom’s head to the kid that was wearing a sheriff’s badge, even though the man in black before him was the one who ran things here. "But you know as well as I do what happens now. If it ain’t me, it will be the Texas Rangers next and God help him when they get their hands on him. They’ll bring him in dead or alive and as good a tracker as he is, he can’t run forever. You know that."

"Vin will stay ahead of you!" JD declared, unwilling to believe that anyone could capture Vin Tanner if he did not want to be caught.

"Mr. Tanner has proven to be most elusive when he wishes to be." Ezra added his own voice, liking about as much as Chris did the idea of letting these men take Vin to Tascosa or for that matter, helping them hunt him.

"There ain’t no way you are taking that boy to hang." Josiah stated in his deep and authoritarian voice, seldom used but thoroughly felt. "A finer man there has never been. He would not harm anyone the way you think and what you are not saying Sir, but is the truth that must be acknowledge, is that justice is blind and the law can be wrong." The preacher replied, defying anyone to say otherwise and meeting Jamieson’s eyes to drive his point home. When Silas Poplar had almost convinced everyone  _even_  those in this room that he was the murderer of women, Vin Tanner had stood up for him and refused to believe it. Vin had been his staunchest supporter during that dark time and Josiah would do the same for him now.

A long silence followed until Chris spoke.

"But he’s still right." Chris said after a moment, to the astonishment of everyone around him.

"You cannot be siding with Mr. Jamieson, surely?" Ezra asked.

"I am not siding with anyone but Vin," Chris replied and met the Marshall’s gaze. "You want my help, here is how it will be. We alone will bring Vin to Tascosa. That way, we can be sure that he won’t have any accidents on his way there." Instinctively, Chris glanced at Langstrom as he spoke. "Most of us have lives here we can’t walk away from so you know we ain’t gonna go back on our word. I give you my word, we’ll bring him in but just you stay in Tascosa because the six of us alone ain’t enough to keep them from lynching him if the town gets into their mind to see that happening. With your men and mine, we have a chance of keeping him alive to see a court of law."

Jamieson let his gaze sweep over the faces in the room, at the men who would gladly die, every one of them, to do the right thing by Tanner, in particular this notorious gunslinger who was reputed to be one of the fastest in the Territory. He stared at Chris Larabee’s face and knew that his word was not given lightly if at all and that Larabee had a wife and child in this town. He had much to lose if he became a fugitive protecting Tanner.

"All right," the Marshall nodded. "I have your word that you will deliver Tanner to Tascosa?"

"My word." Chris said shortly.

"Buford you can’t be serious!" Langstrom started to object.

"I ain’t gonna tell you to shut up again Keith." Jamieson looked over his shoulder and silenced him with a venomous glare before turning back to Chris.

"See to it." Jamieson replied coolly and added just in case Larabee was intending to take advantage of his compassion as Tanner had. "But you double cross me, any of you and I’ll run you into the ground before I’m through."

"Understood," Chris nodded and believed it.

 


	4. The Road to Texas

 

_Firelight, firelight_

_Come dance with me in the cool twilight_

_Sparkling embers follow my wake_

_Like a dream walk I often take_

_Carry me to a far away place_

_A fairy tale world hidden behind a veil of lace_

Vin had no idea who had written that odd little verse. He only knew when he had been almost killed by Will Richmond some months before, he had fallen asleep listening to Alex reciting those misty words in his ear, while her hand had stroked his brow to sleep one night during his convalescence. Later on, he had asked her about it only to have her evade the question and he sensed that it was a mystery, like one of many locked away inside a woman’s heart.

As he watched the embers dancing in the fire of his campsite, the glittery dance of fire reminded him of that verse once again and Vin found himself wanting to hear the rest of it because there was something in the soulful prose that was deeply haunting. At the moment, he wanted to be haunted because that was the only way he could overcome the terrible longing for Alex that was left in the wake of his abrupt departure from Four Corners and very possibly, the life he had built for himself over the last three years. When he had fled earlier, things had been so clear inside his head, his motivations even more precise, but time had a way of blurring the boundaries of what was a certainty into something vague and ambiguous.

Now, he felt like a coward.

When he had first broken away from that Federal Marshal and his deputies, Vin had thought he was doing the right thing. After all, how could he be assured of a fair trial when any hope of proving himself innocent had died with Ely Joe? It seemed as if he was willingly allowing himself to be a sacrifice on the altar of justice erected for Jesse Kincaid. At the time, he was still too filled with emotions after his anguished farewell with Alex to think straight about what he was actually doing. When Langstrom uttered those derisive words about Alex, something inside him snapped and the need to escape overrode all good sense. Suddenly, he was gripped with the terror of dying without ever feeling Alex’s skin against his again, enclosed by walls or worst yet, to be strung up like an animal for all to see. By the time he had a chance to reason out all these fears with the notion of clearing his name once and for all, Vin was riding hard into the night with Four Corners behind him.

He had ridden for hours, uncertain at first where he was going before finally opting to seek refuge among Chano and his people, who had rebuilt their village after bandits had razed it to the ground some months ago. Vin had no intention of remaining there any longer than a night, wishing only to rest and contemplate his bearings. His course of action had precipitated the need to make some hard decisions and Vin had to address them immediately.

Initially, his ruminations had taken him no further than the need to send word to Alex to join him, as well as letting Chris and the others know he was not coming back. However, as Chano welcomed him with open arms and Vin was faced with the fine appreciation of his friendship, it begin to dawn upon the tracker what it was he would be leaving behind when Four Corners became relegated to his past. It was more than just a town, and those left behind were more than faces accumulated over a lifetime, they were not merely his friends, they were the closest thing he had to family. Not only Chris, whom he would miss almost as dearly as if he were losing Alex, but all the others as well.

As his stay at the Indian village lengthened, he suddenly realized that he did not want to leave, no matter how untenable remaining in Four Corners had become. He wanted to be see how the ranch that he had helped Buck and Chris build fared after all their hard work. Almost as much as he wanted to see little Elena take her first steps, or Nathan passing the exam that finally made him a real doctor, and whether or not Ezra would make a success of the Standish Tavern. Chano had been supportive of his decision to leave, understanding the need to stay out of custody since no one could appreciate better than an Indian what it was like to be trapped within the hell of walls. Still, after due consideration, Vin realized that his hasty decision to escape had been ill thought and the advice given by Chris Larabee and that damned Marshal returned to haunt him.

He could not run forever.

Four Corners was his home. It had become that after a lifetime of wandering, of fitting in nowhere. Finally, he had found a place for himself among people who cared deeply what became of him, with a woman who was willing to do anything to be with him. More than anything Vin wished he could get his hands on Ely Joe so he kill the man all over again. When he had framed Vin for murder, he had not merely put a price on Vin’s head but created a cycle of vengeance that never seemed to end.

Loath as he might to admit it, Vin realized that Chris was right. He had to face this eventually, and this was as good a time as any. If the odds worked against him and they did find him guilty, he would know that at least he had tried to have a chance at a normal life. The risks were great, he knew that. If he took the gamble and lost, his life would be forfeit, but he could not go on this way. He had done all the running he was going to do. Now it was time to face the powers that be and pray that justice really could be done for not only himself but also for Jesse Kincaid. As he had once said to Chris when the gunslinger had asked if he had any proof of Chano’s innocence in the death of Claire Mosely, the truth was proof enough.

For his sake, he hoped that would be the case when he turned himself in at Tascosa.

Vin remained at the village during the rest of the night, with the intention of going to Tascosa at first light. He left instructions with Chano to bring word to Alex, hoping that she would stay in Four Corners because if things went badly in the Texas Panhandle, he did not want her to see him hang. Never one to assume that safety was assured because of familiar surroundings, Vin did not stay in the village itself but at a suitable distance away from the community so he could observe from afar and vacate if necessary. He had no intention of bringing any trouble upon the folk who had given him refuge. Although Chano had declared that such measures were not necessary, Vin would take no such risks with the lives of others. The red man had enough troubles with the federal authorities without his bringing more difficulty upon them for harboring a wanted fugitive.

Besides, Marshall Jamieson struck him as a thorough man and if he had learnt enough about Vin to find him at Alex’s, then it was possible that he might also learn about the tracker’s relationship with Chano and the Indians at this village. While Vin was confident that Chano would never turn him in, that would not stop Jamieson from coming to the village in search of him, and Vin was not about to let more people become inconvenienced for offering him sanctuary. Vin set up his campsite close to the village so that he could view the arrival of any unexpected visitors.

He had sat around the fire warming his hands, debating his choices until finally reaching the conclusion that made him realize that he had to end his limbo existence by resolving the situation in Tascosa. Until he cleared his name, he could not go on with his life because he would forever be looking over his shoulder, wondering if that shadow was just that or another hunter coming to claim the bounty on his head. He could not put Alex through that kind of life, and he was tired of being trapped in amber, unable to move on. He wanted to marry her and have a family, like Buck and Chris were starting to do. He never saw any joy in being bound to land, as he had once told Charlotte, but there was an inordinate beauty in knowing that the choice to roam was his and not out of some need to keep one step ahead of a wanted poster.

He did not sleep at all that night when his mind was filled with such thoughts.

When sunrise came, Vin found that he had burned away all the irrelevancies in his mind until all that was left for him was the truth in its purest form, held in the crucible of understanding. He could not leave Four Corners behind because Four Corners was Alex, Chris, Mary and all those other faces that had become so much apart of his life during the last three years. He had spent most of his life alone, even before his mother had died. She had been his entire universe in life. When she had gone, there were new faces, but still his heart remained untouched and his soul condemned to an island of loneliness that had finally been shed, the first time he gazed across the street and saw friendship in the eyes of a stranger in black.

Vin could not go back to that again. Even if it meant dying. He could accept judgement in Tascosa, even if a court of law found him guilty of the crime. He could accept it because the three years that had led to this point had been the best in his life and he could accept dying knowing that he had actually lived. Vin was not certain what he had been doing before meeting Chris Larabee but he was certain he had not been living. Existing maybe, drifting across the plains like the mist that came with morning, having no real substance and leaving nothing behind.

His life had been that meaningless.

It was not quite dawn when he fell asleep finally, but that moment of slumber lasted briefly, for not long after he had descended into the dreamscape, he heard the sounds of riders approaching. The thunder of hooves beating against the ground resonated through the earth and roused him immediately from sleep. Instinctively, he reached for the Winchester he had retrieved from Langstrom and hurried from his bed roll to the lookout position he had scouted earlier and selected for that purpose. Below him, the Indian village seemed peaceful despite the rapid approach of the new arrivals.

There were six of them and Vin recognized the horses immediately, having become familiar with them all after three years of riding alongside them as one of their number. At the head of them, he could make Chris out quite clearly, and felt some measure of relief seeing his best friend. If Vin asked, he was sure Chris would accompany him to Tascosa. Normally Vin would not impose upon his friend this way, but he did not want the solitude to make him renege on his decision to turn himself in, and with Chris as his side, Vin was certain that the gunslinger would not let him do anything foolish.

Even though Vin would never openly admit it, he needed Chris to keep him from running when the fear became too much for him. Although courage was an emotion he had in great volume inside him, Vin would not underestimate his desire to run. He had much to stay alive for, the friends riding towards the Indian village factoring greatly as one of those things, not to mention Alex and everything else that had made his life in Four Corners so blissful. Enough time alone could erode anyone’s resolve at having to lose such valuables, and Vin was determined to face judgement in Tascosa without letting it hamper his resolve.

Taking a deep breath as he saw them nearing the outskirts of the village, Vin Tanner let it out slowly before turning back to his campsite once again to put out the fire in order to go down there and face his friends.

* * *

"I can’t believe we’re doing this." JD grumbled, making obvious to anyone who would listen his distaste at what he thought about bringing Vin Tanner to Tascosa. If it had not come from Chris Larabee, he would not have believed it but the fact that it had, made it all the more unbelievable. Of all the people that JD had expected to fight to keep Vin free, he had expected it to be the gunslinger. Hearing Chris give his word to that Marshal was beyond his mind to comprehend.

"We’re doing it because we have to." Buck Wilmington said sternly to the boy as their hard gallop towards the village had slowed to a light trot once the settlement came in sight. He offered the warning before Chris turned around and smacked the kid stupid. As it was, the gunslinger was barely maintaining his composure, even though to the others he projected his typical, brooding calm.

"We’re turning him in to be strung up like a dog." JD blurted, unable to rein his youthful impulsion to say whatever was on his mind.

"Mr. Dunne," Ezra spoke, having heard the same arguments himself and feeling almost as frayed at the edges as Chris on this point. "It would help if you did not keep referring to this entire debacle as having that unfortunate conclusion."

"But it’s true, ain’t it?" JD demanded, defying any of them to say that this wasn’t exactly what was going to happen when they brought Vin Tanner to Tascosa. Vin was his friend and the only member of the seven who did not treat him like a kid. The idea of taking him in was so appalling to JD the youth could barely understand why the others were going along with this insanity.

Buck saw Chris’ jaw tighten and knew the gunslinger was nearing the edge of restraint, and spoke up quickly before that smack in the head JD was destined to get came a lot sooner than later. "Boy," Buck gave him a look that oozed with uncharacteristic sharpness. "Shut up before someone smacks you in the mouth."

"Look," Nathan broke in, recognizing that the mood was becoming decidedly ugly. They all had mixed feelings about this, but in some small part understood what Chris was attempting to do. "We don’t like the idea of bringing Vin in any more than you do but its gotta be done. He’s been walking around with this thing on his head for the last three years. How many bounty hunters have we killed trying to keep him alive?"

JD did not respond and Nathan continued. "Enough to weigh heavily on a man’s mind, that’s for sure. He can’t do nothing with Miss Alex unless his name is cleared. Chris is right, it needs to be taken care of now, before it gets any worse. Better we take him in alive than some head hunter who couldn’t care less if he gets to Tascosa still breathing. Texas law has changed, they can’t just lynch a man for no good reason. With us and that Marshal protecting Vin, he’ll get to a court of law and maybe we can be done with this mess once and for all."

JD was skeptical, but Nathan had a way of putting things clearly that elevated the issue above the provocative emotional symptoms it engendered. "I hope you are right, cause if he’s proven guilty then what?"

"Then if I have to," Chris Larabee answered for the first time. "I’ll break him out of there myself and send him to Mexico."

No one could tell whether or not Chris was joking, but judging by the steely expression in his eyes, no one dared ask him to elaborate. In any case, there was little time as the village was upon them and as they started to dismount, Kojay emerged from the collection of huts to greet them.

"Greetings." Kojay said pleasantly. "It has been many moons Josiah." The old man remarked as he and Josiah engaged him in a warm handshake. Both men had forged something of a friendship since the incident with the reverend, where the seven had taken a stand to defend Chano against the town after the death of Claire. Occasionally, Josiah would ride out here to visit with the man, sometimes bringing Lilith, who had confessed to wanting to meet real life Indians since Audrey was open minded enough to allow the excursion. Both would spend the day here, with Lilith absorbing all she could about a new society with an eagerness to learn that transcended the enmity that existed between the two cultures.

"That it has chief." Josiah tipped his hat. "Unfortunately, this ain’t no social call."

"I believed it might not be," Kojay nodded. "You come for Tanner?" he asked, sweeping his wizened gaze over the rest of the seven.

"Yes," Josiah nodded, glancing briefly at Chris. " Is he here?"

"That depends." Kojay said reluctantly. "On whether you wish to bring harm to him."

Chris immediately stiffened at the suggestion that he or any of the men with him would bring any danger to Vin. Josiah caught the anger in the gunslinger’s gait and immediately made an attempt to diffuse the situation. Tempers were running high enough as it was without innocent words becoming incendiary. "We do not wish to bring him harm, but he needs to come with us."

"To face judgement in a white man’s court is not an enviable position." Kojay replied. "I would call that bringing him to harm."

"He has to face his troubles," Chris spoke up, understanding Kojay’s desire to protect Vin because he felt the same way himself. Chris hated the idea that he was forced to hunt down his best friend and bring him to Tascosa but the fact of the matter was that Vin had to stop running some day. This was as good a time as any to make an effort to remove this price on his head. "He needs to come with us before men who care less about him than we do start coming after him. They won’t care if he gets to Tascosa, dead or alive, nor will they care about keeping him alive once he gets there."

"Kojay," Josiah appealed to the man. "I don’t like it any more than you do. In fact, none of us are too happy about this but we have to find him."

Kojay looked decidedly uncomfortable about keeping silent, bound by his loyalty to Vin and the debt that was owed to young man for saving his son’s life but the knowledge that these men were Tanner’s closest friends and would never willingly wish him ill confused him.

"Its okay Chief," Vin stepped out from behind the huts and appeared before them all with Chano at his side. "They ain’t here to do me no harm, just knock some sense into me I reckon." Vin tipped his hat slightly at his friends upon his arrival in a gesture of greeting.

"Close enough." Chris remarked, unable to hide the small smile of relief that sneaked across his hardened features at the sight of the tracker.

"Its good to see you partner." Buck said boisterously, with more enthusiasm than he felt because the tension needed its edge taken off, and if anything, that was the one area in which Buck excelled, since the poison Alex had administered to him had negated his other exceptional talent. He strode towards Vin and offered the younger man a heavy pat on the shoulder.

"We thought you might have absconded permanently Mr. Tanner." Ezra remarked, wearing a similar look of pleasure at seeing the tracker.

Vin took a deep breath and released it. "I thought about it." he admitted, meeting Chris’ gaze as he made that confession. "I was all set to keep riding and not come back. I got as far as here," he gestured to the village, "and started really thinking about what I was doing."

"Came to some conclusion I hope." Buck asked hopefully, preferring it if Vin’s choice to come with them to Tascosa was his own and not because they were going to take him there out of fear over what a Federal Marshal would do in their place.

"You’re right Chris," Vin admitted reluctantly. "I gotta face this thing." he said, not happy about the decision or what it could mean if things did not transpire the way he hoped. "One way or another, its gotta end for me sometime."

"But they could hang you Vin!" JD exclaimed, wondering why no one but him could not see that any chance of life was better than simply capitulating to the certainty of death. Vin had said it a dozen times, Ely Joe was the only way to prove that he did not kill Jesse Kincaid. With the death of that outlaw, it was Vin’s word against overwhelming evidence that he had not been responsible for the crime with which he was charged.

"JD." Nathan groaned softly. "Enough." the black man said with gentle authority, the same voice he used when demanding they rest after being injured and making certain that they obeyed his orders.

JD fell silent although his dislike of the situation showed clearly.

"They could hang me JD," Vin agreed with the youth. "That still don’t mean I can turn tail and run." he replied, hoping JD understood that he was making a choice to live, not to die. "I got to face it sometime, now is a good a time as any."

"I’m glad you feel that way pard," Chris said, clearly relieved that he would not have to convince Vin that it was necessary to travel to Tascosa in order for Vin to be finally rid of this price on his head. He had given the Marshal his word to bring Vin to Texas, but in truth, he had no idea what he would have done if Vin had refused to go. He felt too much for the younger man to bring him in against his will. "I managed to talk Jamieson into letting us take you in."

Vin nodded, deciding he preferred that to being taken into custody in the hands of a Federal Marshal. "I appreciate it." he said in his usual understated manner, even though he was brimming with gratitude. "How is Alex doing?" he found himself asking.

"She’s pretty broken up," Chris saw no reason to lie because any other response from Alex over this crisis would have been improbable. "I left her with Mary, so she’ll be fine." Chris assured him and saw the gratitude in the tracker’s expression, knowing that the woman he loved would not be alone at this dark time.

"She’s a strong woman," Nathan assured him. "She’ll pick up faster than you know and probably be in Tascosa before we are, if I’m any judge of character."

"You’re right," Vin agreed with a faint smile, completely aware of how tenacious Alex could be, and her determination to save him would sometimes lead her into more trouble than she knew what to do with, but Vin would have her no other way. He did not know how he felt about her being in Tascosa, but there was little to be done about it now.

"Chris also fixed it so that Jamieson stays in Tascosa during the trial," Buck added. "So that we can all make sure there ain’t no lynching."

"Thanks cowboy." Vin met Chris’ gaze again. "I reckon we better be going if we’re going to go."

"I reckon." Chris said quietly, wondering if anyone had any idea how hard this was for him. Vin was his best friend and delivering him to Tascosa to face trial, quite possibly death, was one of the hardest things he had been called upon to do in his life. He was glad that Vin was making it easy for him.

"If one of you give me a ride up to that ridge," Vin glanced in the direction of his campsite. "We can get going, Peso’s hitched up there."

"I am sure Chaucer would have no difficulty fulfilling that role." Ezra offered magnanimously.

"Thanks." Vin offered the gambler a faint smile and turned to Chano and Kojay who had been so kind with their hospitality and had touched Vin with their efforts to protect him.

"I wish you well Tanner." Chano said shaking his hand. "I hope the truth serves you as well as it served me," sincerely hoping that he would see the tracker again.

"It will or it won’t," Vin replied holding no real expectations of that hope before turning to Kojay who surprised him with a warm embrace, the way he would a member of his tribe or one of his own sons. Vin was taken back by the show of affection from someone who was normally so stoic about death and everything else that surrounded his existence.

"Good journey Tanner," Kojay answered, keeping his passive mask in place even though his eyes were fluid and sad. "May the spirits guide you in your quest and bring you back to us soon."

Vin swallowed, feeling the emotion threatening to choke him before he forced it away again. He had no idea that his farewell was having the same effect on the men behind him who were trying not to let their own feelings about what was happening overwhelm them. It was hard to take anything lightly when the farewell Vin made to Kojay and his son could very well be the first of many such goodbyes if Tascosa found Vin Tanner guilty of murder.

* * *

 

Vin had returned to the Indian village on foot and rode behind Ezra on his horse Chaucer when the seven made their way to his campsite to get his belongings and Peso. Unlike their usual journeys where there was always lively chatter, no one felt in the mood to talk, not with such a grim prospect awaiting them at the end of their travels. Even Buck, who often made lengthy treks tolerable by his ability to capture the interest of everyone with inane but strangely enough interesting subjects of conversation, remained silent. Like the others, the purpose of their journey to Tascosa preyed on his mind and he worried about Vin just like every member of the seven.

The sun was just beginning its climb across the sky when the seven took the worn and wind blown trail towards Texas, with each possessing mixed feelings on what should be done. Despite their agreement with Vin that it was time he resolved his situation in Tascosa, they could not help be apprehensive over what would happen to the tracker in the event his bid to prove his innocence failed. They had endured too much together to see their fellowship broken by a hangman’s noose and there was a mystical power of being the seven which would not survive the loss of one.

Buck found himself thinking about the time that he and Vin had barged in on Chris the night after his stag party. Both men had barely been able to hold in their laughter as they tried to convince the groom to be that he had spent the night with a dancer named Salome in a fit of drunken lust. Although Ezra had played a part in that bit of amusement, it was mostly Buck and Vin who had devised the prank and had been on the receiving end of a bullet when Chris realized that he had been the victim of a joke. That had been only one of the pranks in which Vin had been his co-conspirator, and between the two of them; it was a wonder that either had their skin since the butt of their jokes always seemed to be Chris.

Josiah was just as involved in his own thoughts about the tracker. His mind kept swirling around the secret that Vin had kept for him and still did, during the time he himself had been accused of murder. Josiah felt somewhat ashamed by how willing he had been to accept the responsibility of those deaths when here was Vin, who had not committed the crime, saddled with it at the cost of everything else in his life. Josiah had allowed himself to be a creature of guilt and until he purged his sorrows to Vin, had no idea how much his remorse had helped to shape his life. Speaking out about his sister had made him realize that his secret could be revealed and the world would still function after that disclosure. There was no need to bury her away as his father had attempted. Why could he not pull a proverbial rabbit out of the hat and save Vin the way the young man had saved him?

Nathan watched Chris Larabee and Vin Tanner riding ahead and tried not to think what would become of them if they were unable to convince a judge that Vin was innocent. Better than anyone present, Nathan knew what it was like to be at the blunt end of injustice. He had faced the dilemma every day of his life until he had escaped from the plantation, and was more realistic over the outcome of Vin’s day in court than anyone else, save Chris perhaps. If they could not find any new evidence that might cast doubt on Vin’s complicity in this matter, it was more than likely that the tracker would indeed hang. The fellowship would never survive such an outcome; even Nathan was realistic about that. They were what they were because each was a vital part of a bond that had been forged in seven parts steel and largely soul. Losing one was like losing a part of one’s soul, and no matter what they might tell themselves later, things would never be the same again.

Ezra let his gaze sweep over his companions and knew that they were all engaged in ruminations of their own regarding the fate of the tracker. While he confessed to feeling some concern over Vin’s unfortunate situation in Tascosa, it would have surprised everyone to know that Ezra held more optimism about Vin’s eventual freedom than anyone else in the entire group. The gambler could not ascertain what motivated the insight that had him believing without a shadow of a doubt that Vin would leave Tascosa with them when all was said and done. The odds were against them and Ezra was not fool enough to play against the house, but he had learnt much during his time as part of the circle. The one lesson that always seemed to penetrate far better than all others was the presence of something unseen guiding them.

He liked to think of it as Lady Luck.

JD was not so introspective about anything that was transpiring. He was a bunch of emotions awaiting release because he felt fear. How could he not? Vin was his friend and the situation in Tascosa was serious business indeed. Facing things was all when and good, but there was also such a thing as a fool’s errand and JD could not help but think they were engaged in an undertaking that would make them all rue the day they ever suggested bringing Vin back to Tascosa. The six men with whom he rode were the family he had always wanted, the one his ma had tried so hard to be all at once. He could not imagine the void that would be if they were gone, and he knew that if one of them were to die, the others would drift off just as surely as if death had taken them too. The heart of what they were would be lost if one of their number were depleted. Even JD knew that.

And then there was Chris.

Chris who said nothing as he rode alongside the young man, trying to decide what his life would have been like if he had not looked across the street that dust blown afternoon and seen Vin Tanner. Vin who appeared as if he were wrestling with his conscience at standing by while a mob threatened to lynch an innocent man, probably identifying with the situation a little. After all, who knew better than he what it was like to be judged for a crime he did not commit? So much had happened since that unspoken agreement had passed between them to deliver Nathan from his would be killers, and it was hard to ignore that Chris’ own voyage of healing had begin with that simple act of compassion shared between himself and the tracker. Vin’s friendship had done what bullets and a bottle had not. It had allowed him to leave Sarah and Adam behind and begin living again. Chris was not sure how he would fare if he lost that friendship now, even with Mary in his life.

He prayed he would never have to find out.

As they rode together side by side, Chris spied Vin on occasion even when both were silent and lost in thoughts of the moment. Vin’s eyes faced the road ahead, seeing something Chris could not see but the gunslinger could easily imagine, if it were he who was faced with the same circumstances. He had no knowledge of the law, but he had given Mary instructions prior to leaving to wire the judge, to see if Orin could do anything to help. Of course, if the judge had been able to aid them in their quest, he would have done so long before it came to this. Unfortunately, Orin’s appointment as a territorial judge ensured that his influence was limited to the area to which he was assigned. Tascosa was in Texas and Vin’s case, when it finally went to court would be in the purview of the Territorial judge counterpart to that town as Four Corners was to Orin Travis. What influence Orin might have over one of his colleagues would be meager, and it would all come down to evidence, which unfortunately, they had little of.

Prior to leaving Four Corners, Chris had prepared Mary to expect him gone for at least a week if not more. While he felt uncomfortable leaving Four Corners for such a lengthy duration and taking all the others with him, they had no choice. When they had first met, Vin had believed that the residents of Tascosa had been ready to lynch him had he not departed when he did. Laws in place to protect such a thing from happening did not offer an iron clad guarantee that it would not happen if folks got it into their minds to make it a reality. Vin needed the protection of them all, including the weight of a Federal Marshal to keep the more determined citizens at bay.

Despite all these other considerations, what concerned Chris most of all was not the lynching or the jurisdictional realities of the situation, what really made Chris fear for his friend was the lack of evidence to prove Vin did not actually commit the crime. Ely Joe had killed Jesse Kincaid and exchanged clothes with the man so that Vin would believe he was taking Ely Joe’s body back to Tascosa to claim the bounty. He had arrived there with the body and a motive, and while the murder weapon was not the gun that Vin carried, the fact still remained that Vin was the only suspect. Chris worried that even in a fair trial, the judge was still going to find him guilty.

"What do you know about Kincaid?." Chris finally broke the silence between them.

The question took Vin completely by surprise. "Not much." Vin admitted. "I know he was a farmer, had a wife and a place, but not much else."

Chris nodded and absorbed the information, trying to find something they could use in a court of law to cast doubt on a decision that Vin might be guilty of this crime. As it was, they were going to Tascosa with nothing to add, and the evidence available seemed to indicate the irrefutability of Vin’s culpability in the matter instead of exonerating it. "Tell me what happened when you were tracking Ely Joe."

Vin frowned in concentration, giving the gunslinger’s request due consideration, even though he was doubtful about uncovering any new information simply from his recollections. He was skeptical about gleaning anything from what he had remembered, after all, it was not as if he had not replayed the sequence of events in his head a dozen times already. How many times had he followed the same path, repeatedly in his head, wondering why the man had done what he had done and reproaching himself for being stupid enough to be led so blindly? Still Vin could not begrudge Chris’ opinion that a fresh perspective might aid him in seeing something that he had missed through the sheer repetition of the search.

"Not much," Vin replied, recalling the events that had led him to the day when he had discovered Kincaid’s dead body, half immersed in the water trough for his horses. Taking the path often traveled inside his mind, he cast his mind back to the first time he had encountered the name of Ely Joe. "I had tracked him across most of the Texas Panhandle where he’d been hitting the banks in every small town he came across. Left a lot of people dead, but by the time I started tracking him he had big head start over me. There were other bounty hunters after him, but I was the one who was closest on his trail and even then, I never actually saw him, other than his picture on the wanted poster."

"So he was wanted in Tascosa for bank robbery?" This came from Buck who had edged his horse beside the duo now that the ice had broken and someone was actually talking. Prompted by his actions, they were soon joined by the others who were just as pleased to be rid of this somber atmosphere that had been following them since leaving Four Corners.

"He started in Tascosa, probably thought it was remote enough not to cause much trouble." Vin said, retrieving memories he had not thought of in almost three years. Following the ruse that saw him framed for murder, Vin’s thoughts about Ely Joe had mostly centered around that crime and not the events prior to that day. In retrospect, Vin wondered that had he paid more attention to those details, might he have avoided the situation he now found himself in? It was a fruitless debate since the deed was done and he could do nothing to change it. "He robbed the bank there and killed the teller and two customers."

"Charming man." Ezra frowned, his dislike of the brigand having lowered another notch in an already less than stellar opinion.

"Yeah, he was a stone killer alright." Vin agreed with Ezra’s assertions on the man’s character. "The original arrest warrants were drawn up in Tascosa, but eventually just about every town he came across had reason to write up one of their own. As I said, I got on the trail after he hit Amarillo and I tracked him across most of the Panhandle, got pretty close to catching him a couple of times."

"He must have been good." Josiah had to comment. Vin’s tracking ability was uncanny at times, as the man could read marks in the dirt that were incomprehensible to most. If Ely Joe had managed to evade Vin as long as he had, the outlaw had to be credited with having some skill himself. It was also understandable why Ely Joe had been driven to frame Vin if the tracker was the only one who had come close to catching him.’ "Staying ahead of you like that and all." the preacher added.

"He was one the smarter ones I’ve tracked." Vin had to concede to that much, as well as having to admit that Ely Joe was one of the slyest bastards he ever came across, Vin thought inwardly. "By the time he headed out west, most of the towns in the Panhandles knew who he was. I figured he was going to head for Mexico with whatever loot he had. Ely Joe had partners, but they tended to wind up dead so he was alone for most part. He liked staying close to towns, even though he didn’t always ride into them. I had nearly caught up to him when suddenly, he headed towards Tascosa again. I couldn’t understand why at first, because they knew him well enough there to shoot him on sight if they saw him."

"Perhaps it was for that very reason," Ezra suggested. "He selected Tascosa to perpetrate his trickery on you because the citizens of that community would immediately recognize a body that did not belong to Ely Joe."

"That’s what I figured." Vin grumbled, wondering if it was obvious to everyone as it should have been to him back then. However, he supposed he could not have foreseen Ely Joe to be so crafty because the skill in which he had framed Vin took the tracker completely by surprise. Although Ely Joe had shown his adeptness at avoiding capture, he had not displayed that level of Machiavellian intrigue. "Anyway, I followed him there and the tracks I saw seemed to show that his horse had thrown a shoe. I thought I had him then until I came across Kincaid’s place the next morning and found the body. He hadn’t been dead long so I figured that some farmer might have recognized him and put a bullet in him."

"That’s when you took the body in and found out it was not Ely Joe." Nathan concluded.

"That’s about the size of it." Vin nodded, hoping the others might have an insight into something he might have missed.

"So what happened to his horse?" JD inquired.

"He took it with him JD." Buck replied automatically.

"So it took him almost a day to fix a shoe on a horse?" JD pointed out, trying to show Buck and the others that he was not stupid.

Chris turned sharply to the young man because what he brought up did make sense. A vague thought surfaced inside his mind and although he knew that he was grasping at straws, there was something noteworthy about what JD had brought up that had inspired him to consider deeply an avenue which they previously neglected to pursue. However, before Chris became overly excited by the prospect, he wanted further clarification before he even started to raise Vin’s hopes.

"Wait a minute," Chris said hushing Buck and JD because he needed quiet to work this out in his head. "You said his horse threw a shoe."

"Yeah." Vin nodded, not seeing the significance of it yet but taking note of the intensity of Chris’ voice, knowing that the gunslinger had a specific reason for the inquiry. "I reckon that’s why he had to stop."

"How long between you finding out his horse had thrown a shoe and actually catching up to him?" Chris asked, staring at Vin in anticipation of his response. Instinct told him he had stumbled upon something important if Vin could only give him confirmation with his answer.

Vin, who now saw that Chris was very serious, took a moment to answer his question carefully. In fact, they were all looking to their leader, wondering what insight their leader had stumbled upon with his very pointed questions. "A day maybe more."

"And the body," Chris probed further. "How long had he been dead before you found him?"

"He was in the water," Vin replied, examining every facet of the scene which saw his discovery of Jesse Kincaid, sensing the urgency in being exact over the details. "But the part of him that wasn’t wet was still warm. So I don’t think he’d been dead for very long."

"But you didn’t hear a gunshot." The gunslinger asked.

"No," Vin shook his head. "I heard nothing like that. What is it pard?"

"What kind of wound was it?" Chris asked again, his suspicions furrowing deeper into his mind because there was something odd about the scene that opened all kinds of possibilities. "Did it kill him instantly or would he had taken time to die?"

"It was straight through the heart." Vin replied, recalling the grisly scene with some distaste. "He wouldn’t even have known what hit him."

"He took his time leaving." Josiah remarked.

"Well he had to," Nathan interjected. "He had to be sure that it was Vin who found him not someone else."

"This Kincaid had family?" Chris asked again, since Josiah and Nathan had brought up the anomaly he was focussing upon so succinctly.

"A wife." Vin replied automatically, understanding now what Chris was getting at. The time difference had never occurred to him because he had not thought it important. "She was in town when he died."

"So Ely Joe waits around all night until Vin catches up to him and kills Kincaid when the wife leaves?" Buck looked at Chris, wondering if that was what Chris was alluding to.

"It takes time for a horse to mend after a new shoe," Chris mused. "I doubt that he would have chanced waiting for the wife to leave and after he killed Kincaid to get his horse fixed up. If Vin was still far enough away not to hear a gunshot but close enough to reach him before the body got too cold, then that’s a very narrow margin to chance on tending to a horse with a broken shoe. If his wife saw nothing out of the ordinary before that, then Ely Joe would have to have had his horse shod elsewhere, and that’s unlikely." he pointed out.

"Or he could have undertaken the task at Kincaid’s property itself," Ezra declared, his quick mind crossing the gulf between Chris’ speculations and the rest of the seven’s to join the gunslinger in his discovery. "Before he killed the man, perhaps even before the wife left."

"Which means….." Buck’s eyes widened in understanding.

"That’s right," Chris nodded quietly. "She might have seen him."

* * *

She was better now.

When Vin had first been taken from her, she had been far from composed. In fact, she had almost gone to pieces. Alex did not remember being so distraught about anything since her father died. The possibility that she might lose Vin was beyond her ability to accept, and the words of comfort Mary had tried to offer in her despair had done nothing to convince her otherwise. Alex was never good at accepting a strong shoulder to cry on and she preferred to endure her grief alone. Taking herself home, she did not realize until she closed the door behind her that she had willingly walked into another nightmare almost as potent as the one that faced her now. She had stopped crying after he had been taken away and to her embarrassment, she had wept in front of Chris Larabee when she was telling him what had happened. When she left Mary, Alex was determined not to shed any more tears, to be strong because Vin needed her to pull herself together.

However, when she walked into her empty house and smelled the aroma of dinner they had not shared, or the sight of one of those colorful scarves he always seemed to be wearing draped on the edge of the bed post, Alex felt her resolve shatter into a thousand pieces. She let herself fall onto the soft mattress, clutching the pillow he had used the night before that was still filled with his scent and wept in loud ragged sobs. She could not be without him! She did not know how Vin had become such an ingrained part of her existence that Alex could not imagine her life without him. She would have willingly become a fugitive for him, followed him anywhere he wanted to be if it meant just being with him. She loved him that much.

Alex had not known how long she had been this way but she had fallen asleep with that scent in her lungs and that at least, gave her some measure of comfort far more effectively than Mary’s words. Thankfully, her mind had decided she needed a momentary respite from her waking day troubles and had not filled her dreams with him, even though she would have thankfully accepted any presence of him at this time. When she woke up, Alex’s first thought that he was next to her and it was almost as heart wrenching to realize that it was his lingering scent on the bed that had led her to that mistaken belief rather than his actual presence.

She knew he had made his escape and that Chris had been sent to find him and bring him to custody in Tascosa. While Alex had been initially angry at the gunslinger for suggesting such a thing because it felt as if it were a terrible betrayal of his best friend, in the light of day when she was better able to accept the situation, Alex knew Chris had done the right thing. There needed to be an end to this. For three years Vin had lived with the specter of Tascosa over his head and it had affected their relationship almost from the beginning. They could not even think of marriage with that damned price hanging over him and the future they had sought to build together could unravel the moment someone decided to claim the bounty.

With morning, Alex found herself calmer and able to focus with more clarity. She had no doubt that Chris would catch up to Vin because he was the only person who could. No doubt, the gunslinger would convince Vin to journey to Tascosa and face the charges of murder. With Chris in Tascosa, Alex could be assured that Vin would be safe from a lynching, which meant the only way to fight this would soon be in a court of law. She might not be able to protect him the way Chris and the seven could, but she could certainly help him in that regard. However, long term protection was something not even Chris Larabee could provide if Vin was found guilt of murder.

For that, he would need a lawyer.

As Alex started outlining her strategy the way she would outline a campaign for a battle she had to win, she found herself at the telegraph office sending out a series of wires. The first would be to Doctor Briggs in Sweetwater, informing him that she was leaving for an undisclosed time. On the rare occasion when neither she nor Nathan was able to be in Four Corners, Doctor Briggs had assumed the responsibility of health care in Four Corners. Briggs would ensure that Four Corners would not be lacking in the services of a doctor for the time she was required to be away.

Following the telegram to Briggs, Alex sent a message to Gideon Dunwill, a notable criminal defense lawyer whose practice was mostly centered in Silver City. When Alex had first become aware of Vin’s bounty, she had not given it much thought. However, with the realization that their love was no passing infatuation and that she had wanted to spend the rest of her life with the tracker, she had made inquiries into the possibility of requiring the services of a lawyer at some point. At the time, she had not known why she had taken the time and effort, since the murder charge and Tascosa seemed so far away from their life in Four Corners, but Alex was never one to play chances. Telling herself that the information was useless and she would probably never have use of it, Alex filed the list of names away and had forgotten about it.

However, after last night Alex realized how deluded she had been, and the first thing she had done this morning upon waking was to rifle through her papers to find that list. At the head of that list was Gideon Dunwill. The information she had secured about the man seemed to indicate that he was a brilliant trial lawyer and was usually called upon to defend upper crust clients with legal difficulties that required complete exoneration to save their reputations. His services did not come cheap and getting him to Tascosa was going to cost a considerable amount, but Alex did not care, she needed the best legal mind that money could buy to save Vin from a hangman’s noose, so money was no object.

After she had sent her telegrams, Alex made the necessary preparations to depart for Tascosa on the next available stage leaving Four Corners. She had never been to Texas and wished she was not forced to journey there under such circumstances, but neither heaven or earth was going to stop her from being with Vin when he needed her most. Once she had booked passage out of town, Alex made her way to the bank. Judging by the looks she garnered the moment she stepped into the premises, it was obvious everyone in town had learnt of Vin’s fate. Although the other clients in the bank glanced her way surreptitiously from the corner of their eye, no one said a word to her, however, she did see some measure of sympathy in their faces.

Alex did not join the queue, instead moving to the window that would capture the attention of the bank manager. She did not want to deal with an underling with what she required of the establishment today and her transactions needed to be carried out fast. Dane Crandall, a short pudgy man with thick fingers who wore a dark suit no matter what the occasion, immediately came to greet her at the counter.

"Doctor Styles," he said politely. "How nice to see you." He smiled with that false front presented only to those with a large cache of money entrusted to his bank. "I am sorry to hear about Mr. Tanner." He oozed sympathy that did not seem very sincere, but Alex ignored it since she did not require compassion of him, only compliance to her requests.

"Thank you," she returned tautly. "I need some transactions taken care of Mr. Crandall. I expect you to handle them personally."

Taking note of her tone, Crandall acquiesced without any protest. She was one of his best customers and he was prepared to oblige any request. "Of course Doctor, what can I do for you?"

"I want," she fished into her purse and pulled out a scrap of paper. "One thousand dollars wired to Silver City Bank in the account name of Gideon Dunwill for his retainer and travelling expenses. I want it done before day’s end. Use whatever resources necessary to get it to him, I am willing to incur the expense. I also want three thousand dollars wired to an account in my name at the main bank in Tascosa. I will be leaving for Tascosa on the stage some time today so I want it there when I arrive."

Crandall was busily scribbling down all her instructions, careful not to make an error on any of her instructions because Doctor Styles seemed unusually impatient and surly today. Of course, if the rumors about a federal marshal were true then he supposed she would need this money to clear her fiancée’s name. "I am not certain how much time it will take to wire that kind of money to Texas, Doctor Styles."

"You will find a way to have it there by the time I arrive Mr. Crandall," Alex stared at him with a gaze of intensity, obviously in no mood for refusal at the moment, "or when I get back to Four Corners, I will pull all my money out of this bank and set up my own if I have to. We both know I am in the position to do that."

Crandall swallowed visibly, having carried out enough transactions for her in the past to be aware that Alexandra Styles  _did_  come from money if not lineage. "Of course Doctor Styles," he nodded. "I will see to it personally. Is there anything further?"

"Yes," Alex nodded, feeling a little guilty about being so abrupt with the man since it was no fault of his that Vin was in trouble. "I will need some travelling money. Have five hundred dollars in cash ready for me this afternoon when I come back. I have a few more things to take care of in town before I need to leave."

"Certainly," he replied.

Alex was about to leave the counter when she paused and added. "Your service has been exemplary Mr. Crandall," Alex found herself saying with a small smile. "I should not have questioned that."

The gesture had the desired effect of smoothening the unpleasantness earlier and she saw him soften with sentiment at her remark. "Thank you Doctor Styles," he answered, surprised that she had offered those words. "I will have everything ready for you when you come back. I hope it will be enough to help Mr. Tanner."

Alex let out a deep breath and met his gaze. "I hope so too."

* * *

Alex had one more stop to make before she went home and started packing to meet the stagecoach that would be arriving in Four Corners in a few hours. Riding hard out of town on Phoebe, who was probably not happy about the exertion since her mistress was not accustomed to making her perform so swiftly, Alex arrived at her destination less than an hour after departing Four Corners. It was a track she had taken numerous times before which added to her confidence when making the journey because she was not the best rider

Before leaving town, she had stopped and spoken to Casey Wells who had an afternoon job at one of the stores in town and confirmed that her aunt Nettie was at their homestead out of town. Despite her money and her professional status, Alex had to face certain realities. She was not a white woman and in Texas, which was one of the states where slavery had been allowed, she needed someone to act on her behalf in any undertaking she attempted to carry out in Tascosa to help Vin. She could not ask Mary or Julia who had responsibilities here, and Inez was in the same situation as she was, that left only Nettie.

When she had spoken to Casey, the young woman had only just heard about Vin’s predicament because she lived out of town. JD and the rest of the seven had departed yesterday evening, so it was likely that news about Vin had yet to reach Nettie Wells. Considering how Nettie felt about Vin, Alex knew that she would want to help Vin in any way possible, and was confident about asking Nettie for assistance by journeying with her to Tascosa. Besides, Nettie was fiercely protective of Vin Tanner and she had no doubts that Nettie would speak very well for her in Tascosa on any matter concerning his life.

Nettie was sweeping the front porch of the house that Vin and some of the seven had helped to build after a campaign of terror by bandits had seen the previous dwelling razed to the ground. Aware that Nettie could easily be left destitute by the loss, Vin had rallied the seven, amazingly enough including Ezra Standish, to erect a new home in place of the one that had been lost. While Nettie had offered her thanks with a few words and warm meals for all whenever they were out this way because she was not a woman who expressed sentiment, it was easy to see that she was greatly touched by their efforts.

She waved at Alex with a wide smile as the young doctor approached, bringing Phoebe right to the front of the house before Alex dismounted and started up the walk that led to the house. When Nettie saw the absence of a return smile on Alex’s face, the old woman guessed immediately that the reason for her arrival was not social. Immediately, Nettie felt a surge of concern, centering mostly on her niece Casey or Vin Tanner because nothing else could bring Alex here wearing such a grave expression on her lovely features. Immediately, the old woman stopped what she was doing, setting down the broom and hurrying toward Alex to meet her half way.

"Alex, dear what it is?" Nettie as soon as Alex was near enough to answer.

"Its Vin, Nettie," Alex said, wasting no time because it was not a commodity that she had in great abundance at present. With the stage leaving Four Corners in a few short hours, she had no time to waste and she needed an answer from Nettie immediately. "A Federal Marshal came for him last night. He got away but Chris and the others have gone after him."

"What do you mean gone after him?" Nettie asked, her face registering her shock at the news that Vin’s past had finally caught up with him. Vin was like the son she never had, and to hear that he was in such dire straits was an arrow through her heart that any mother could appreciate.

"They had no choice," Alex answered quickly, not wanting Nettie to believe for a minute that Chris Larabee would willingly betray Vin, she felt guilty enough about thinking ill of the man when she had first heard what he had planned to do. "Vin needs to deal with this and if Chris did not take him to Tascosa, the marshal was going after Vin himself, and he might not be too particular about bringing Vin to Tascosa alive or dead." she pointed out.

"I see." Nettie frowned unhappily, hating the waiting game almost as much as Alex probably did at this point. "Come on inside," she started to lead Alex towards the house, not missing the deep grain of worry in the doctor’s attempt to maintain a brave face. "I’ll put the coffee on." Nettie offered.

"There isn’t time Nettie," Alex remained where she was. "I need your help. I’ve got Vin a lawyer to fight this in court when he finally gets to trial. I’m planning on going to Tascosa myself on the stage, but it would help if you came along with me."

"Why?" Nettie looked at her, unable to imagine what use she could be to Vin in Tascosa, other than providing moral support. Alex however, appeared very serious about the request and seemed to have a deeper purpose for which she reluctant to speak out, even though it was necessary for Nettie to understand fully why she was needed.

"Texas use to be a slave owning state," Alex said after a moment of hesitation, realizing she could not make Nettie understand why her assistance was so vital if she did not tell her the truth or the reservations she held about her presence in Tascosa. "I’m not white and if I go into Tascosa paying his bills and giving instructions to his lawyer, it will just make things worse for him. Nettie I need your help down there, I don’t want to be another liability to Vin. He’s going to have a hard enough time as it is."

Nettie thought quietly for a moment, then came to the conclusion that there was no debate needed. Ever since she had met him, Vin had gone out of his way to make her load easier to bear. He had once said that she reminded him of the mother he had lost as a child, and while Nettie had never come out and said it, he reminded her of the son she had always wanted but was never meant to have. After he had saved her farm from Guy Royal, he had been a regular fixture on the property, often turning up out of nowhere to mend a broken fence or to help her with whatever chores needed doing around the place. Vin’s presence had made her small family grow just a little and Nettie liked seeing him at her table, sharing supper with her and Casey after he had spent a hard day working on the farm.

Although she had never come out and said it to him, she loved the boy and would do anything to protect him. It was Nettie who had encouraged Vin to express his feelings about Alex when no one else was aware that he harbored feelings for the doctor, and no one was prouder than she when they announced their engagement. Suddenly, Alex became the fourth addition to her family and Nettie considered the young woman family as much as Casey or any of her kin. If Alex needed help, and it took a great deal to prompt such an able woman as Alexandra Styles to admit it, then there was no question that Nettie could do anything but provide it.

"When do we leave?" Nettie asked.

Alex let out a sigh of relief and found herself embracing Nettie in sheer gratitude because it was no small thing that Alex was asking. "Thank you Nettie." she whispered softly as the old woman held her and stroked her hair softly in a way that reminded Alex of how her father used to hold her when she was troubled as a child. She held no such memory of her mother. "I know this is a great deal to ask." Alex remarked as she pulled away from Nettie to speak.

"You hush now," the older woman stopped her from offering thanks because Nettie was grateful of any opportunity to be able to help Vin during this crisis. She certainly preferred to take an active role in aiding him rather than sitting at home, wringing her hands with worry while she waited for an outcome to reach her ears. "I know you wouldn’t ask unless it is important and you’re right, Texas is no place to make enemies, especially in a town looking to lynch Vin for murder."

"Well," Alex let out a deep breath. "Chris and the others are going to stay in Tascosa and see to it that Vin gets a fair trial. The marshal seems to be a good man and he claims he’s going to uphold the law and see justice done, so Vin’s safe for the moment."

"Assuming they don’t find him guilty." Nettie frowned, voicing just how precariously the illusion of safety truly was.

"Exactly." Alex nodded, very well aware of that fact. "That’s why I got him a lawyer. The stage will be leaving in a few hours and I intend to be on it."

"And so will I." Nettie said confidently. "If you want me."

There was no question of wanting Nettie, as far as Alexandra Styles was concerned. She needed her to be on that stage when it left Four Corners.

Alex needed her and more importantly, Vin needed her. 


	5. Surrender

 

Tascosa had not changed.

Even though it had been three years since he fled from this community, running from the price of his head, still stinging at his defeat at the hands of Ely Joe, the memory burned itself into his mind. His horse, Peso, seemed to recognize the town as well because the animal’s movements were slow and reluctant as if it knew bringing his master back to this town was a mistake. Vin could not disagree with his faithful companion on that assertion but he had made this decision and now that he was riding through the main street of Tascosa, there was little he could do to change his mind.

The seven had become the focus of everyone’s attention the moment they entered the town in the heat of the afternoon sun, days after they had set out from Four Corners. As their horses slowed to a light trot, their group felt like they were part of some kind of parade as people stepped out of their doors and shops onto the street, to witness the spectacle making its way towards the sheriff’s office. The faces that stared and pointed at Vin know precisely who he was, and following their realization that he had returned were silent whispers of disapproval, hatred and reproach, emphasizing his notoriety in town. Very soon the number of interested onlookers on the street grew to an alarming number that made Vin glad that he had the support of his friends and the reassurance of a trial before judgement was passed on him. Just looking at this crowd told them that they were ripe to become a lynching party.

"It’s okay Vin." Chris assured him in a low voice, the black garbed gun slinger’s hand was poised on his peacemakers, even though the gesture looked completely natural and not at all threatening. Vin could tell by the tension in Chris’ jaw that could change in an instant. "You’re going to get your trial. We ain’t letting nothing happen to you."

Strangely enough, when Chris said it, Vin tended to believe him. "Thanks pard." The tracker said with a wan smile. "But I knew this wasn’t going to be easy when I decided to come back here."

Chris nodded, feeling his chest tighten in apprehension for his friend. He prayed that Vin would not require 12 men from this rabble to sit in judgement at his trial because if that were the case, he did not have a chance in hell of being heard fairly. The expression of condemnation on the faces of the townsfolk indicated that they already thought Vin to be guilty and Chris realized why Vin had found it necessary to run. With such overwhelming numbers believing him to be guilty, Vin was not likely to get out of a town alive without running into a noose.

"Friendly place." Buck remarked behind them as they progressed further up the street, their arrival drawing more and more attention.

It was actually a relief to see the jailhouse at the end of the road, and Chris wondered if Buford T. Jamieson was here in Tascosa yet. He certainly hoped so. He would not like to hold off a lynching mob with just six men, since Vin would hardly be in a position to defend himself. Besides, the presence of a Federal Marshall might be enough to keep the mob at bay, if it came down to a fight, and guessing by the ill feeling that was being generated as this cortege made its way towards the jailhouse, it was going to be close.

"Well there was enough bad feeling about Ely Joe without me bringing an innocent man’s body and claiming it to be him." Vin pointed out, understanding completely how the residents of Tascosa must have felt when he had unknowingly passed Kincaid’s body for Ely Joe’s.

"What’s the Sheriff of this town like?" Chris inquired as the stone building came into view with faded letters signifying its purpose stretched over the worn brick.

"Good man." Vin replied, remembering Sheriff Josh Ritter quite well. When the mistake had first been made, Ritter had not believed him to be lying about his claim that he had been tricked. Unfortunately, that doubt would mostly likely have withered up when Vin climbed onto Peso and disappeared out of town. An innocent man had no reason to run and Vin had done just that, proving to Ritter and probably the whole town he was anything but that by his escape. "I probably didn’t make a friend out of him by running." Vin confessed somewhat shamefully.

"Probably not," Chris respected him too much to lie.

He looked into the crowd again, wondering how on earth Vin was going to get a fair hearing in a place like this and reconsidered the folly of bringing him to this town. What had he been thinking? Chris should have just let him disappear into the wilderness where he would at least be alive. Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of a woman who was staring at Vin with something that was completely opposed to anger. Her eyes hazel colored eyes were looking at Vin with sympathy and for a moment, Chris was struck by the sadness etched in her face. She was not much older than Vin, with dark hair pulled back into a tight braid at the back of her head. There was something about her face that seemed so terribly haunted and for a minute, Chris who knew all about spectral inhabitation’s in the soul wondered what pain had made such a lovely face so filled with marked sorrow.

"Vin," Chris nudged the tracker as her eyes met his.

"What?" The tracker glanced his way.

"That woman," Chris nodded in her direction. "Do you know her?"

Vin looked up and met the soulful eyes offering such compassion a moment ago. She seemed startled by his notice and immediately withdrew behind doors once more.

Vin turned back to Chris. "No," he admitted puzzled at her behavior. "Never seen the lady before."

Chris continued staring for a moment, even after Vin’s attention had returned to their journey towards the jailhouse, taking stock of the building she had entered in case he needed to recall the information later. There was something about her that was strangely compelling, even though Chris could not explain why. The establishment in which she had vanished was a modest shop front, with a simple wooden sign that read ‘Amanda’s Sewing Circle’. Along with the name of the store was also a list of services that was provided by its proprietress, Amanda.

There was little time to linger on that particular incident as they soon found themselves in front of the jailhouse. While their arrival had not exactly caused any real commotion, there was enough of a rumble from those observing their progress to the building to alert those inside to come out and investigate. Chris saw the doors of the saloon swing open at the same time the sheriff appeared from inside his jailhouse. Jamieson came out of the bar, meeting Chris’ gaze in a silent gesture of good faith that he would keep his word with the arrival of Vin in Tascosa. Next to the Marshall was his deputy Langstrom, sporting a bandage around his head. As the seven faced Sheriff Ritter, Chris took note of Jamieson and Langstrom coming to meet them.

Ritter was in his mid-fifties, and appeared a seasoned man with a dark beard that was being overtaken by gray. Although he looked old, his brown eyes were sharp and taking stock of the situation before him. His gaze hardened immediately upon catching sight of Vin, familiarity breeding into a contempt for the crime the man had done, even though he was struggling hard not to let personal emotions interfere with his job. As he approached the riders who had brought their mounts to a halt before the hitching post, he carried a double barreled shotgun which he did not appear to have any difficulty using. When he took a stance before them, Langstromand Jamieson were by his side, offering a strong wall of support, in case the new arrivals intended to cause trouble.

"Well you said it Buford." Ritter declared loudly, never taking his eyes off Vin as the tracker dismounted and walked towards him. "He’s here."

"I gave you my word." Chris who was flanking Vin on one side while Josiah stood on the other, replied in response to the sheriff’s remark.

"You did at that." Jamieson tipped his hat in a gesture of gratitude. He was pleased that Chris had not proved him wrong, considering how skeptical Ritter had been about Tanner being brought back by the men he rode with.

"How’s your head?" Vin asked Langstrom. There was no malice in his voice even though the man had deserved it for what he had said about Alex.

"I’ll live." the deputy shrugged. "Maybe it knocked some sense in it to me." Langstrom said with a little bit of smile. "I’m sorry about what I said about the lady." he replied and surprised Vin with his admission. "As people sometimes tell me, I got a big mouth."

"This is all very nice but this here is a criminal." Ritter said pointedly, unable to understand all this compassion towards a man who had taken another’s life. "I’ve been waiting a long time to put you inside a cell Tanner" he glared at Vin.

"Take it easy," Chris retorted automatically. "He came in here of his own free will. We didn’t have to force him."

"So what?" Ritter stared at Chris in nothing less than contempt. "Are we suppose to forget that he killed a good man?"

"I didn’t kill anybody." Vin came to his own defense before any of his friends could. "I found the body, I didn’t end his life!"

"You wanted your five hundred pieces of silver!" Ritter snapped back. "You killed an innocent man to get it. As far as I see it, you deserve to hang! I don’t care how you’re being trying to repent for your crime in Four Corners, pretending to be lawman. A thousand good deeds can’t erase the stain of one innocent life! Now give up the gun or I’ll shoot your right here!"

Vin flinched and Chris saw Josiah’s anger swelling inside his broad chest. Behind him, the rest of the seven were preparing themselves for a fight, willing to defend Vin, every one of them if necessary. Chris saw Josiah’s hand tightening around his guns and knew that this could easily spiral out of control into a shooting match if something was not done immediately. Ritter was riding on a wave of anger and unknowingly lighting a match to an already explosive situation.

"Easy Josiah." Chris commanded with a tone of voice that not even Josiah could ignore. The preacher returned Ritter’s hard stare before his hand dropped away from his gun in acquiescence of Chris’ instructions.

Jamieson did the same for Ritter. "Josh," his voice dripping with as much command as Chris’ even though Jamieson’s voice lacked the intensity of the gunslingers. "Our job is to keep him alive for a court of law to decided whether or not he is guilty. I gave these men my word that this was going to happen. Don’t make me have to pull rank on you."

Ritter flinched, not liking Jamieson’s interference in this even though the man was correct. It was not his job to decide if Tanner was guilty, merely act as warden until that determination was made and the sentence carried out. "Fine but he gives up the gun, now."

Jamieson looked at Vin. "I’m sorry son, you heard the man."

Vin swallowed, hating to be unarmed, hating to be put behind bars or enclosed by walls but that was an inevitability he could not longer avoid, no matter how much it twisted his insides in revulsion. Shifting his gaze sideways at his friends whose expressions were pained at being forced into this position, Vin knew he would spare them any more discourse. Reaching for the Winchester in his holster, he saw Ritter tense, the older man’s fingers tightening around his own gun to shoot if Vin were to do anything other than hand the weapon to him.

Unsheathing the weapon from its holster butt first, Vin handed the sawed off Winchester towards Ritter. It was Langstrom who took the weapon away from the tracker. Vin never felt more vulnerable in his entire life as he prepared to place himself into the custody of the sheriff, reconsidering this entire idea of turning himself in now that he stood upon the edge of the abyss with no turning back once he took the final step. Inwardly, he wished more than anything that Alex were here and then recanted that it would be too difficult if she were. Taking a step forward, he separated himself from Chris and the rest of his friends in a gesture that was not only physical but symbolic in its presentation. No sooner had he stepped towards the sheriff than he heard the familiar clink of metal as Ritter produced iron handcuffs and prepared to snap them over Vin’s wrist.

"Is that really necessary?" Chris asked, his lips pulling into a white line of anger as he saw Ritter lock the manacles into place around his best friend’s wrist.

"Josh," Jamieson said unimpressed by the display the sheriff was making. "Come on, he’s only going into a cell. That ain’t required."

"After what he did to your deputy?" Ritter said sharply, throwing a sidelong glance at Langstrom as proof of his words. "This here is a murderer and I intend to keep my town safe from the likes of him. The cuffs stay."

"He turned himself in!" Josiah growled. "What more does he have to do to prove that he did not commit this crime."

"He ain’t done nothing to prove it!" Ritter exclaimed. "Not goddamn thing except maybe make all you boys go sweet on him."

"Son of a bitch...." Josiah’s voice dropped an octave above dangerous and Chris could tell that the limits of the preacher’s patience had been reached.

"Stand down Josiah!" Chris ordered as Ritter’s gun rose to fire. "This ain’t the time or the place!"

"Yeah," Vin said suddenly. "Stop it please."

All eyes turned to him as the tracker released a deep exhale. "I’m in your custody now sheriff," Vin replied in that too low voice of his that always seemed so comforting when spoken in the midst of chaos. "I won’t give you any trouble. I’ll go quietly. Josiah, its fine." The tracker assured the preacher of this point, not wanting any bloodshed over such a small matter. "These things ain’t so bad and they won’t keep them on me when I’m in a cell, seems like there ain’t no point to it."

"They will come off when he’s in the cell won’t they?" Jamieson gave Ritter a critical look, to impress upon the sheriff how close he was to having his jurisdiction usurped if the Marshall was given any reason to believe that the man in his custody was in any danger.

"Once he’s in the cell." Ritter answered sourly, not liking the fact that he was being dictated to.

"I want one of my men in the room with him at all times," Chris declared before anything else happened. Ritter had way too much hostility towards Vin for Chris to dare leaving the tracker alone with the man.

"Not in my jailhouse...." Ritter started to say when Jamieson cut him off.

"That will be fine but you can’t have your guns in there." The Marshall declared aware that Ritter would only tolerate his interference up to a point and the concession with their guns would be enough to pacify the sheriff into allowing one of the seven to occupy his jailhouse guarding the prisoner.

Chris saw Josiah about to balk at that suggestion but knew they would have little choice but to comply. "We’re agreeable to that." As he made that statement, he unbuckled his gun belt from around his waist and handed it to Josiah. "I’ll take first watch. Someone relieve me in four hours."

"Chris, you don’t gotta do this." Vin replied.

"It’s done." Chris said abruptly and looked at Sheriff Ritter with an expression of ice. "Let’s go."

* * *

By the time the sun set in Tascosa, just about everyone in town knew that Vin Tanner was in custody.

Vin’s six friends remained alert and the other five maintained their vigil by taking up position in the local saloon, armed and ready in case of trouble. After Josiah had relieved Chris in keeping watch over the tracker while he was in Ritter’s custody, the gunslinger had taken a few hours to rest and get cleaned up, after which he joined the others. The mood in the saloon was ugly, which more or less confirmed Chris’ intuition that he was right to accompany Vin here. As he and the others sat in an unobtrusive corner of the saloon, they could see people giving them anxious glances, identifying them as those who rode with Tanner.

"Gentlemen," Ezra said quietly, observing the crowd over his glass of whiskey. "I do not like the atmosphere of our present location."

Chris could not disagree with him. Although the saloon was like any other they had visited in a dozen towns like Tascosa and across the Territory, the mood inside the establishment was deteriorating. Patrons looked their way but tried not to make eye contact as they speculated on the new arrivals and rumbled in dissent at the protection surrounding the tracker after committing such a crime. There was a line of tension running through the place that was almost palpable in its intensity and Chris had the sense that it required little more than a hair’s breadth to set the townsfolk’s animosity into a full blow self righteous rampage.

"I gotta agree with Ezra on this Chris," Buck responded under his breath, his eyes fixated on the crowd just as closely. They all felt what Ezra was first to voice and it made them all doubly ready for action if the need arose. "I’ve heard the talk. They ain’t happy that it’s going to trial. Some of them want Vin strung up right a way."

"Well that ain’t gonna happen." Chris said firmly, willing to kill the first man who produced a rope to reach that end.

"They’re itching to lynch someone." Nathan added his voice into the mix. "They’ve been waiting for justice for a long time. Now they got the man, they ain’t willing to wait and let a judge handle it."

That was apparent by the way they were glancing in the direction of the lawmen from Four Corners. Although no threatening gestures had been made to the visitors; it was obvious that the greater majority of the saloon’s customers did not want their presence. While the bartender seemed nonplussed about them since their money was good as anyone else, the rest of Tascosa’s residents were not so tolerant. They threw dirty looks and whispered in low voices about Tanner’s comrades, reducing them to little more than armed thugs instead of peacekeepers here to ensure that justice was done in accordance with the law and not the rule of the mob.

"Which one of you has got Josiah’s gun?" Chris inquired, agreeing with his friends that things could get ugly very quickly.

"I got it Chris." JD answered, showing enough of the preacher’s artillery so that Chris could see it and not anyone else who was not of their number.

"Good," the gunslinger nodded smoothly. "Pass it to me under the table."

JD nodded quickly and slipped the weapons to Chris under the concealment of the table upon which their drinks were perched. The entire maneuver was made discreetly with no one the wiser who was not a part of the circle.

In the same voice, Chris turned to Buck. "Buck, you and Nathan go out to the jailhouse. Keep an eye on things there without letting anyone see you take the point. JD, go find Jamieson and his men. Tell them to be ready to move at a moment’s notice."

"You think there’s going to be trouble?" Nathan asked, allowing his gaze to sweep across the faces full of dark emotions and dislike, and knew that the gunslinger was correct in expecting the worse even before Chris could answer.

"Yeah," Chris nodded slowly. "I’d say so. It’s not going to take much to push this bunch over the edge. They’re liquored and there’s always someone who’s going to have more guts and self righteous anger than brains."

"I concur." Ezra agreed, since he was able to read the moods of men with greater efficiency than most because it was a part of his profession to know. "The question is, which one will it be?"

That was a difficult question to answer because there was no leader amongst the group, just unfocussed dissent that had yet to find a voice. If that were the case, it would run its course by the end of the night with no place to go and no one would be harmed. However, if it did find a rallying voice then the night was only beginning for everyone concerned, including the seven.

"Go." Chris ordered.

The others rose from the table, almost casual in their movements even though the situation was starting to climb towards critical. With practiced calm, the trio walked out of the saloon, with eyes following them until they walked through the batwing doors. As they departed, Chris heard the gallop of a single rider nearing the building. Buck, Nathan and JD had not been gone for more than a minute when a new set of footsteps marched onto the boardwalk with forceful strides before bursting in through the front door.

The new arrival was a man in his mid-forties, tall and wearing a tan duster. Judging by his clothes, he was wealthy, with pressed collars even though his clothes were that of a working man. With light colored hair and a sturdy build, he carried his tall stature like a man accustomed to authority. He had taken no more than few steps into the establishment before he paused in the center of the room.

"Did I hear right?" his loud voice boomed over the sound of the badly tuned piano and silenced it immediately, as well as the chatter in the room. "They got Tanner in custody?"

"He came in this afternoon." someone said in the background. "Turned himself in."

"Well ain’t that nice." the man declared. "And what are we doing about it?"

"Shoot, Caleb there ain’t nothing to be done," another voice replied. This time Chris identified it as belonging to a rather dull witted man dressed overalls and had the look of a farmer. "He’s in the jail house, waiting for the judge to come and sentence him."

"Waiting for a judge?" the man called Caleb declared. "Since when did we wait for a judge to decide how things run around here?"

"There’s always one," Ezra whispered to Chris as their worst expectations came to fruition.

"Yep, unfortunately, he’s the right one." Chris nodded. "Let’s see how far this goes."

"Mr. Larabee, if it were to go as far as we think, I do not believe there is much you and I can do to change their opinions. Unfortunately, we are outsiders and in communities like this, our word has very little weight."

Chris did not respond but was paying close attention to the growing tensions in the saloon, especially when the ill sentiment and resentment that had been festering in the room were being cultivated into the need for action by the incendiary words of one man. The new arrival had center stage now, capturing the attention of just about everyone except for some disinterested drunks whose were beyond anyone’s ability, even their own, to be passionate about anything except what inside of a bottle.

"Jesse Kincaid was a good man!" the man continued to bellow. "He deserved better than to be killed because he happened to be there when some scum of the earth bounty hunter decided he was sick of working for a living! Its bad enough that some folks in this town have lost kin to Ely Joe but to have another innocent man die so he can keep Ely Joe from coming to justice is just plain sick! Are we going to let this dog sit pretty in jail when Jess is lying dead in the ground?"

"Hell no!" someone else shouted, followed by an angry chorus of voices that were soon properly outraged.

"Let’s go." Chris said abruptly.

"Go?" Ezra looked at him. "I thought the point of this exercise was to keep these men from being inflamed into a mob."

"Like you said," Chris retorted as he pushed himself away from the table and stood up. "Our words ain’t gonna do much. Best take this outside where we can stop it with something a little more impressive than words."

"I really despise it when I am correct." Ezra muttered and followed the gunslinger out of the saloon before the crowd remembered they were present and decided to wet their bloodthirsty appetites with an appetizer of them before moving on to the main course that was Vin. Ezra paused long enough at the batwing doors to see that the ringleader was well and truly in his element. Having set the match to the bitter feelings and easily ignited emotions harbored by everyone present, he was not about to let the momentum fade now that he had the masses firmly in his grasp.

"There ain’t no reason for a trial!" he roared loudly, engendering more fervent cries of agreement with each word he said until everyone was transfixed by him and waiting for the next word to escape his lips. "We all know he is guilty! He came into town with Jesse’s body! What else do we need? What else should the law need? Why wait days to see justice done, when we get it done tonight?" He searched the crowd and saw the faces that were glazed and mesmerized and knew that his power over them was absolute.

"Who’s with me?" he shouted.

More than a dozen voices shouted clearly and the rest aped their sounds to indicate their enlistment into the night’s duty. Ezra watched long enough to see the numbers that were crossing the floor in favor of a lynching and decided that it was time to go. He hurried away from the door just as the ringleader started to scream with almost fanatical intensity.

"Lynch him!"

It chilled Ezra down to the bone when that lone voice became the chant of dozens.

* * *

"We got trouble." Chris announced as he burst into the sheriff’s office and immediately garnered a reaction of anger from the man who was seated behind his desk.

"You don’t come in here with those guns." Ritter barked instantly, emerging from behind his desk and strode towards Chris who was handing Josiah his gun belt.

"What’s going on?" Vin asked from behind the bars of his cell. He hated being trapped like an animal when there was fighting to be done by his friends, particularly in his defense. Vin felt he should at least be at their side.

"Someone’s in the saloon, firing everybody up for a lynching." Chris said calmly, for the benefit of everyone, including the Sheriff. He turned to the older man as Josiah started wrap his gun belt around his waist. "Your people are going to be here in a minute, demanding his head for a hanging." Chris stared at the man with his intense gaze. "Are you going to let that happen?"

"I am the Sheriff of this town." Ritter said haughtily as if Chris even asking the question offended him. "I say how the law goes in this town and that boy’s fate is going be decided by a judge and a jury, not a bunch of liquored up fools high on alcohol fumes."

"Well I’m glad to hear that Sheriff," Chris retorted with clear cynicism since little about this man had improved up to this point and his opinion was not likely to change in the near future. "Because trouble is coming."

As Josiah and Ritter started out of the building, Chris held back long enough to take a private moment with Vin who was looking most unhappy indeed at being left behind. The tracker met his gaze with an expression of misery on his face at being locked in this intolerable situation. "You gonna be okay, pard?" Chris asked Vin as he looked at the gunslinger through the bars of his cage.

"I ain’t got much of a choice in the matter," he said bitterly. "But you take care cowboy," Vin replied, trying to force a smile but could not quite manage it. He hated this more than anything else in the world, to be left behind while good friends defended him while he was forced to cool his heels inside this damn cell.

"We will." Chris nodded, understanding the hollow expression in Vin’s eyes as he offered that salutation of well being. "You just sit tight, we ain’t gonna let anything happen to you." He started towards the door when he paused and added with a smile. "That lady of yours will never forgive me otherwise."

* * *

By the time Chris had emerged into the night air, he could see Buck and Nathan in position at strategic corners of the roofline in the buildings immediately offering line of sight to the space before the jailhouse. Only his experienced eye could spot them since he knew they were up there and was aware enough of each man’s habits to know where they would nestle themselves. Ritter was armed with his shotgun and Josiah was standing next to him, uncertain allies who now found themselves on the same side. In the far corner, he saw Jamieson’s men fanning out perhaps guessing what Chris had in mind by JD’s relating of the events that had caused him to seek out the Marshall. In any case the players were already in position by the time the first handful of men emerged from the saloon.

Chris was not surprised when the ringleader was absent.

The man who had inspired all this wrath had disappeared completely from sight. Unfortunately, his disappearance did not prevent the tide of sanctimonious outrage that was presently moving up the street towards them. With most of the saloon’s patrons properly incited, they had appeared on the streets, sweeping along anyone who had was gullible enough to be won over by incendiary words under the misguided notion that they were attempting to see justice done. They came armed with torches, guns and any other device that could be utilized as a weapon.

Ezra took his place by Chris Larabee’s side, creating the battle line where none may cross before the jailhouse as they prepared to face the crowd. The gambler tried not to draw parallels between this incident and the time he had been forced to take part in a gathering of Ku Klux Klan members. Even though his participation had been minimal, he had seen enough to recognize the same thrall of bloodthirsty desire in the eyes of some of those present. Most were just caught up by words but there were some that truly wanted to see a lynching, and these were usually the hardest to disband.

"Here they come." Chris said under his breath. "You know these folk." he turned to Ritter. "You think they might get scared off?"

Ritter did not answer for a few seconds. In truth, he had not expected them to reach this point. Particularly when it was Slim Rawlins who was leading them. Rawlins had a farm not too far away from the Kincaid place and while he had a big mouth at times, he was also as stupid as a post and not quite forceful enough to light a spark the likes of this.

"I don’t know." Ritter confessed. "They ain’t felt strongly enough about anything to want a lynching."

"Charming." Ezra said unhappily, not wishing to shoot anyone who was gullible enough to be swayed into such behavior. Death was not a just punishment for stupidity. "Well I certainly hope that they pay some heed to force."

"They will." Chris declared as they watched the rapid progress of the group with their torches held high and their voices raised to the heavens in rage, sounding like the low rumble of a thunderstorm just before the first clap was heard in the sky.

"Marshall’s men are in place." Josiah remarked as he spied Langstrom taking the point behind the edge of a building with Jamieson making the approach to join them at the front line, possibly adding some legal weight behind their determination to protect Vin.

Ritter did not like being usurped by this black garbed stranger but he could not deny that the man’s measures to defend his friend were sound, especially when he had not broken the law to do it. Still, he felt comforted knowing that Jamieson and his men were on hand to offer them additional support if he could not compel the group to disband. Most of them were peaceful folk unless, of course, someone had stirred them up. Ritter wondered who would have done it.

The mob paused a few yards away from the lawmen with Rawlins taking the role of leader so recently vacated by the man called Caleb. He was not carrying a weapon, even though many behind him were armed and would no doubt move to protect him should Ritter make the foolish attempt to move against him. He was a slight man, but in his element, he seemed more than what he was. "Stand aside Sheriff." Rawlins declared in his opening move. "We aim to see justice done. Tanner killed Kincaid, we all know that. He should hang."

"He’ll hang soon enough." Ritter retorted firmly, showing no signs of being impressed by the show of force on display by Rawlins and those behind him. "You don’t need to trouble yourselves. I suggest you go home and sleep it off."

"We ain’t drunk!" Rawlins shouted, furious by the inference. "We want him hanged tonight! We’ve waited long enough for Tanner to swing! What if he runs again? We gonna wait another three years to give Jesse some peace?"

"He ain’t gonna run." Chris spoke up for the first time. "He turned himself in to be heard fairly."

"And who’re you?" Rawlins sneered derisively as he turned to Chris. "You ride with a murderer, what good is your word. All you who ride with him are the same kind of trash."

"Sir," Ezra retorted with a hint of hurt in his voice. "I take great exception to that. I know for a fact that I am at least a better class of trash than Mr. Tanner. Breeding would suggest nothing else."

"Smart talking ain’t gonna change nothing!" He barked angrily, proving that Ezra’s verbal barrage was more than he was capable of handling. "Tanner took a life. It’s an eye for an eye."

"Until the whole world is blind?" Josiah returned. "Is that what you people want? To be nothing better than what you are proposing to call a murderer? You do this thing and that’s all you are and will ever be. No better then that which you sought to rid yourselves of. Taking a man’s life is a serious thing, are you all absolutely sure that he killed Kincaid? Even to the slightest degree? If any of you can say that you know for sure that he did it, then step forward and be counted as one of the certain because if you don’t, you’ll see his face every night for the rest of your lives." Josiah challenged them all and saw a measure of uncertainty creep into some of their faces.

"We are sure!" Rawlins renewed his attack, disliking for a moment that his power was being usurped by this lawman with a gun whose manner and soothing tone sounded strangely like a man of the cloth and was appealing to his followers’ conscience. "He rode into town with Jesse’s body, hell he even tried to claim the reward money for that dog Ely Joe!"

"Ely Joe is the one who killed Kincaid!" Chris shouted angrily.

"You don’t know that!" Rawlins said triumphantly. "Do you?"

Chris could not answer that challenge because it was true. He trusted Vin explicitly but in a court of law, there was no way to convey trust and the evidence that they did have was weak.

"Enough of this!" Rawlins motioned the others forward. "We want Tanner and we want him now." His demand was reinforced by the fervent cries of the same from those standing behind him.

"I’m telling you now to go home!" Ritter ordered. "There ain’t gonna be no lynching tonight or any other night! Not while I am sheriff of this town!"

"A bullet can change that!" Rawlins retorted snidely.

Chris had just about enough of this and pulled out his gun so fast that it was pointed directly at Rawlin’s head before anyone else could react. "A bullet can change a lot of things for a lot of people." Chris responded with ice cold menace in his voice that drowned out the rumble into a hush of expectation.

"We’d tear you to pieces if you pull that trigger!" Rawlins said fearlessly.

"Maybe so," Ezra added his calm voice into the fray. "But not before Mr. Larabee covers half of your neighbors with your brains."

"You’re bluffing." Rawlins glared at Chris but he did not sound so sure any more.

Chris cocked the gun in answer to his statement.

There was a ripple of dissent starting to run through the crowd and Ritter took advantage of the momentary impasse to make a last ditch effort to salvage things before it descended into a gun battle that would see people dead. He was not certain that in the face of good people dying he would maintain the oath of his office and continue to defend Tanner. He did not want to be forced into that choice.

"I want you people to disband immediately." Ritter shouted. "Rawlins here has been pretty good at firing you all up but you ain’t just facing us. Everyone will be held accountable when it is all over. It ain’t me who’s going to bring you in to face accountability for what you do tonight, it will be a Federal Marshall, who incidentally has got this entire place surrounded with at least seven men who do know how to kill for a living!"

"Don’t listen to him!" Rawlins cried out in a show of last minute bravado.

The hammer of the gun pulled back, ready to fire and Rawlins stared down the barrel of the gun, his eyes wide with terror as the last vestiges of his bravery deserted him under Chris’ penetrating glare.

"I don’t want anyone hurt," Ritter continued, starting to see his words taking effect as a few guns were lowered and the fear in their eyes began to outnumber those who were still hell bent on seeing this through. "Rest assured, we will see to it that justice is done. We ain’t savages, we don’t hang a man in this town unless we know he is guilty. It may look like Tanner committed a crime but we also know that when it comes to a man’s life, we better be sure about things before we assume that he is guilty. That ain’t our job to do, its a judge’s, and two days from now that’s exactly what will happen."

People started to look around them. They tried to find evidence of his words being true and noticed the signs of the lawmen who were poised and ready to fire from aloft, from behind the corners of buildings, water troughs and any vantage point that might make a convenient place to fight a gun battle. While their volume outmatched the lawmen’s, the sheriff was right. These were men who knew about killing far more than they did. Most of them had families to go home to, and risking it all for a principle suddenly became a price that was too high to pay.

"Forget this" someone said and with him, other voices soon joined in agreement that this entire situation was reaching a point of no return if they did not desist now. The guns began lowering in greater numbers and the rumble of dissent had faded into mutters of compliance as the tight body of marchers started to break up.

"Wait!" Rawlins started to speak when Ritter himself turned around and snarled in the man’s ear.

"You say one more word Rawlins, one more damn word, and I’ll lock you up!" the sheriff warned, disliking that his peaceful community was becoming so disquiet and that he was forced to appeal to their reason with the peace of the gun.

"What fer!" The man demanded angrily, watching in dismay as his power base cultivated so easily by Caleb had withered away as they turned their backs on him and started home.

"Anything I can damn well think of!" Ritter replied as Chris lowered his gun. "Now shut up and go home!"

Rawlins wanted to speak but surrounded by the four men with their weapons in sight and unafraid to use them, he fell silent again and moved gingerly out of Chris’s immediate presence. In a moment, he had joined the others as they scattered into the night, now that the back of their protests had been broken. Chris saw the disappointment in Ritter’s face and concluded that the sheriff really did care about seeing justice done even though he might be somewhat gruff about his prisoner. As Vin had warned on their way here, Vin’s escape from Tascosa must have been a source of some embarrassment to the Sheriff, who must have surely suffered following that indignity. Injured pride was difficult to get over as Chris could personally attest to from experience.

"You think this is it?" Josiah inquired as he watched the group disappear into their places once again.

"Maybe," Ritter shook his head, having no real answer. "I ain’t never seen them this fired up and Rawlins don’t have the personality to get something like this going. He’s dumb and he’s loud but he’s never been one to get people going."

"It was not Mr. Rawlins who stoked the flames tonight." Ezra answered as he slid his gun back into his holster before Chris could.

"Who then?" Ritter looked at him, somewhat surprised that the instigator of this lynching party would not be present to take part in his own handiwork.

"I don’t know," Chris answered. "But Rawlins called him Caleb."

Recognition immediately registered in the man’s face as the name bounced off him and they all saw it. "Caleb Patterson." He mused as if that revelation had opened up some disturbing possibilities in his mind. "He’s a rancher around these parts."

"Why is it they’re always ranchers?" Josiah looked at Chris and Ezra with sarcasm. There was nothing about the situation that could draw any humor from the coincidence they were faced with.

"What’s he got against Vin?" Chris asked Ritter. "The way he was going on in the saloon, it looked a little personal."

"I don’t know," Ritter said gruffly, feeling as if he had said too much already. These men were not real lawmen and he was not obliged to tell them anything, no matter how uncomfortable Patterson’s involvement made things. Possibilities were starting to prey on him that had no business being there. The case was open and shut. Tanner had killed Kincaid. That was all there was to it. Any more speculation than that was only going to get more people killed. "If one of you is going to keep an eye on your boy in there, you best hand over your guns." He turned toward his jailhouse and started walking towards it.

"I’ll relieve Mr. Sanchez." Ezra offered, removing his gun belt as he made the offer. However, he had every intention of keeping the derringer hidden beneath his sleeve on his person. After what he had just seen of the good citizens of Tascosa, he was not about to leave himself or Mr. Tanner open to attack, especially if their sense gave way to mob rules once again.

"Thanks brother." Josiah said gratefully, hating to admit that he needed the rest but the truth was the ride here had been hard and he would not mind a little recuperation.

"I’m going to find out something about this Patterson," Chris replied softly, not missing the look in Ritter’s eyes as the man’s name was brought up. The sheriff knew something he was not telling and Chris had a feeling that for Vin’s sake, they needed to know what that was.

* * *

"So this is Tascosa." Alexandra Styles said as she looked out the window of the old Concord stage as it rolled into the town of Tascosa late that afternoon.

It was almost a day after Vin Tanner had arrived in the town although at this point, Alex had no knowledge of this yet. As her gaze swept over the dust-covered town, she had to agree with Vin that it was indeed as flat as a tack as Vin had once described it to her. Indeed there was not much to see once they crossed over into what was known as the Texas Panhandle. Just a lot of land that seemed to run forever, with nothing that distinguished one place as being different from another. She did not like it. There seemed to be barrenness about it that made her uncomfortable. In truth, terrain that did not at least have rolling hills and green carpets of grass made her feel like she was back in the desert with her father, moving across the dunes on camels in trading caravans.

"Not much is it?" Nettie found herself admitting as she saw the same view from a different part of the stage. "It seems a might quiet."

That was the truth, Alex thought. Unlike Four Corners which seemed to be bustling with activity all the time these days, the wheels of Tascosa’s progress had appeared to be grinding to a halt. There was going to be a day in the not so far distant future when people would stop shaking out the dust from their clothes, or sweeping it off the boardwalks and simply allow it overcome the town. It would disappear into the wilderness then, just one of many such towns taken by dust and time, forgotten in history.

Alex would not be sorry to hear of its demise.

"I wonder if Vin is here yet." she found herself musing as the coach moved deeper into the unimpressive town.

"I would say so." Nettie slid across the seat and placed a comforting hand on Alex’s, trying to will some of her formidable strength into the younger woman. Alex had brought them this far on will alone, and it was starting to take its toll on her. As much as she might like to believe that she could handle any situation, it was clear to Nettie that Vin was the one subject where Alex could never be that self-assured.

"God, I hope he’s okay." she eased back into the seat, feeling none of the confidence that had been present when she first embarked upon this mission to help Vin. She worried for him and over the course of the few days it had taken to arrive here, how he fared preyed heavily in her mind. Tascosa with its flat plains and dusty winds intimidated her, and Alex knew nothing about this place that could bode well for either Vin or her.

"Chris wouldn’t let anything happen to Vin." Nettie assured her even though for the moment, her words had very little effect in offering comfort. Still, not even Alex could deny the truth of her words. Chris and Vin shared a very strange sort of friendship, unlikely some would say. Both men had great difficulty expressing their emotions or conveying to others that they were living breathing creatures beneath the toughened exterior of their hard living. In each other, they had found deep friendship and its bonds were stronger than those forged of the blood. No, short of dying himself, Chris would not allow any harm to come to Vin, this much Nettie would bet her life on.

"I know." Alex sighed. "But he’s very limited to what he can do." she confessed. "Chris is just as locked in this cycle as the rest of us. All he can do is make sure Vin sees trial but if a judge finds him guilty....."

"You must not think like that." Nettie said firmly, determined not to let Alex lose hope.

"I know," Alex swallowed trying to keep the emotion at bay because no matter how much she tried not to feel fearful for Vin or miss him for that matter, it only made the emotion all the more fierce. The ache inside of her at his absence in her life was beyond belief. Oh she had put up with him being gone for a few days at a stretch, the nature of what he was and his profession in Four Corners made that a part of life, but at least then she could be assured of his coming back. She had no such guarantee now.

"Nettie," Alex said soberly once she had composed herself again. The stage would be pulling up in front of what passed for the depot in this town and they would soon be disembarking. "I don’t want him to know I’m here."

Nettie stared at her shocked. "Why?"

"Because it’s going to be hard enough for him to face trial, without knowing he has to deal with seeing me too." Alex said quietly. In truth, she longed to see him but she could not bring herself to impose her presence upon him when his morale was so depleted. "I don’t want to cloud his judgement. He’s made the decision to face this thing and it’s a good idea, no matter how much I might hate it." She wiped a few stray tears that had managed to sneak past her defenses before meeting Nettie’s gaze again. "It would kill him to see me, I just know it."

"All right," Nettie nodded, her brow furrowed in dislike at having to keep such a thing from Vin but she understood Alex’s reasoning all too well. "But if it doesn’t go his way, you may never....."

Alex clamped her eyes closed, not even wanting to address that possibility. "If it doesn’t go Vin’s way and he is sentenced to hang then all bets are off and I have no idea what I am going to do."

* * *

Gideon Dunwill had arrived in Tascosa at dawn. Instead of taking the stage, he had chosen to travel by train all the way into Amarillo and then acquired himself a horse and carriage to make the rest of the journey. It had saved him a considerable amount of time, and judging by the telegram and the very generous retainer he had received just days before, it appeared that time was something of the essence in this particular case. Normally, he took such cases solely on the basis of whether or not they interested him. Fortunately, this case had all the elements of drama, which piqued the good Mr. Dunwill’s interest.

After freshening up at the local hotel and getting himself properly attired for the occasion of meeting his client, Dunwill took a short luncheon at the diner attached to the hotel and then made the trip across the street to the jailhouse. Those who came across this newest stranger in town would have hardly a reason to raise a brow, since lately there were numerous new faces and the nature of their presence made it wise not to ask too many questions. Dunwill of course hardly appeared to be threatening. He wore a suit as if he was born to it, did not carry a weapon and spoke with an accent that was very British indeed. He was a man in his early forties, whose deep green eyes were often hidden behind a pair of steel rimmed glasses and he had penchant for respectable green bow ties.

Dunwill had come from England to the New World about 20 years ago wishing to practice his craft, as well as experiencing the excitement of a frontier existence. While Silver City was hardly what one considered the frontier now, twenty years ago it was a world away from life at Meriton, the village of his birth. He enjoyed the Americas, delighting in its unpretentious existence that so mired the inhabitants of the continent. In America, Dunwill was able to indulge his eccentricities while not being labeled a lunatic since his peculiarities were explained to the general populace as just one of those ‘British’ things.

He arrived at the jailhouse carrying his books and briefcase, looking more like a confused university professor then he did a notable criminal defense lawyer. Knocking on the door quite awkwardly, since his hands were full, Dunwill managed to enter the threshold and was immediately confronted by a rather irate looking man wearing a sheriff’s badge upon entry.

"What do you want?" he demanded, just as the stack of books in Dunwill’s hand decided to break free from the lawyer’s grasp and crumple to the floor in a particularly noisy heap.

"Oh dear," Dunwill muttered and scrambled to pick up his books. "I am sorry. I’m here to see Mr. Tanner." he said while collecting his books.

The man behind the bars immediately rose to his feet while a boy, no more than twenty came forward and started helping Dunwill with his books.

"And who are you supposed to be?" the sheriff demanded.

"Thank you," Dunwill offered a note of thanks to the young man wearing a most afflicted bowler hat on his head. "I am Mr. Tanner’s lawyer." he flinched at the word, having never gotten over being referred to in that way instead of the proper term, which was barrister.

"Lawyer?" The prisoner exclaimed. "I ain’t got no lawyer."

"I believe you do," Dunwill looked at his client, assuming by his reactions that he was Vin Tanner. "I shall be with you in a moment, I need to clear this matter up." Turning to the sheriff, he said very firmly and sounded very much like a lawyer... _there was that word again_! "I have been retained as Mr. Tanner’s lawyer and should you wish to bar me access to my client, we will discuss the matter more fully when the judge arrives in town. Of course, barring my client access to legal counsel constitutes as a violation of his rights and I am certain you do not wish gain censure for failing to carry out your duty as an officer of the law."

"Meaning what?" the sheriff said defensively, obviously not understanding a word that was just said to him.

"Meaning that you will be charged with violating the federal mandates for civil rights." Dunwill said hoping he did not have to put it any plainer.

Ritter was not completely clear on everything this fancy man was saying but the threat implied was clear enough and he was not about to argue the point. "Fine," he grumbled sitting down behind his desk once more. "Don’t make much difference to me, there’s no doubt he killed Kincaid."

"Why don’t you let the court decide that." Dunwill said coolly and turned away from the man who was angry enough to be exuding smoke from his ears.

"Wow, that was something else, Mister." the boy remarked impressed.

"Thank you." Dunwill replied with a faint smile and then met the prisoner’s gaze. "I take it you are Mr. Tanner?"

"Yeah," Vin nodded, uncertain what to make of this stranger with his funny accent that almost sounded like Alex’s but not quite. "I’m Vin Tanner but there’s some mistake, I didn’t hire no lawyer."

"My name is Gideon Dunwill and I was not hired by you," Dunwill answered as JD willingly gave up his chair and allowed the lawyer to take his place in it. "I was retained by a Doctor Styles of Four Corners. I was sent a most generous retainer and travelling expenses to come here as soon as possible to act as your legal counsel."

"Alex hired you." Vin said not certain whether or not he was happy or upset. "Is she here?"

"She?" Dunwill glanced at him and then at the young man who was obviously Tanner’s friend.

"Alex is my fiancée’." Vin admitted almost reluctantly and then rebuked himself for being so ungrateful. This was not the time to question her assistance when everything that she was doing was out of love for him. He wished more than anything that she was here but recanted because he could not stand to have her see him caged like this. Vin could not stomach it if it he were to see her and not be able to touch her or hold her in his arms. The temptation and the agony of refusal would be too much for him at this time.

"Doctor Styles is a woman," Dunwill’s brow rose slightly. "How extraordinary."

"She sure is." Vin said under his breath with just enough affection for Dunwill to understand immediately how things were between the tracker and his lady.

"No matter," Dunwill brushed the topic aside for the moment and glanced at the young man. "I’m afraid what I have to discuss with Mr. Tanner is private."

"It’s alright," Vin said quickly. "JD won’t say anything to anyone." JD flashed Vin a smile of pride at being considered to be so trustworthy by the tracker even though the kid should have known better by now.

"You are the client." Dunwill frowned a little, hoping Mr. Tanner had some idea what he was doing in this matter. "Now, I had all the information on your case telegraphed to me prior to my arrival in Tascosa, so I am familiar with the situation. You located a body you assumed to be a named Ely Joe, is that correct?" He asked as he pulled out a note pad from his pocket and started scribbling some quick points on the lined paper.

"That’s right." Vin nodded, wondering if this man could really help him. Alex would not have hired him otherwise, although he was very impressed with how Dunwill had handled the sheriff a moment ago who was still stewing behind his desk. "I found him dead already."

"You assumed that it was the outlaw, Ely Joe and naturally brought him to Tascosa to claim the bounty, only to learn that he was not in fact Ely Joe at all but a Jesse Kincaid." Dunwill concluded without looking up at Vin, all the while scribbling. "Why?"

"Why?" Vin asked. "What do you mean why?"

"Why did you assume he was Ely Joe?" Dunwill raised his eyes from his note pad and met Vin’s gaze.

"He was wearing some of the skins that Ely Joe wore and the description sort of matched. Truth was, I ain’t never saw the man myself, only from a far when I was tracking him and he was dressed the way I found the body." Vin confessed, thinking how foolish he had been to simply make that assumption.

"I take it this Ely Joe is now dead?" Dunwill probed further.

"He tried to kill Vin, Mister Dunwill," JD spoke up before Vin could answer himself. "He paid these men to impersonate Federal marshals to come get Vin in Four Corners."

"I see," Dunwill nodded and glanced in the direction of the Sheriff. "I assume you were here at the time my client brought in the victim, Sheriff?"

"Damn straight I was." Ritter said vehemently. "He brought him in here and plunked him down good as you please, expecting his reward."

"And you did not find anything unusual about a bounty hunter who was quite well known for his skill to be foolish enough to kill a man from these parts and attempt to substitute him for someone else? Not to mention, the source of confirmation being the one person in town who would know everyone residing in the area?" Dunwill looked over his shoulder and challenged Ritter to answer.

"He had the body." Ritter retorted defensively. "What more do they need?"

"What was he carrying?" Dunwill inquired.

"Carrying?" Ritter asked not understanding the question.

"What sort of weapon?" Dunwill rolled his eyes with impatience.

"A Winchester." Vin answered for him. "That’s what I always use."

"Yeah," Ritter nodded. "A rifle." The sheriff confirmed.

"But you still believed that my client killed Mr. Kincaid even though it was a 45 caliber bullet that was removed from the body?"

"What’s your point?" Ritter stared at him.

"A standard Winchester rifle of the make and model that Mr. Tanner utilizes a 30 -30 caliber projectile." Dunwill remarked still scribbling in his pad. "Did you find a 45 caliber weapon on Mr. Tanner or in his belongings when you arrested him for murder?"

Ritter started to stammer. "No, we didn’t find nothing like that, which means he could have just got rid of it."

"It could," Dunwill nodded. "Or you could have made a mistake."

 


	6. Mrs Kincaid

 

Vin Tanner had one dream when he dreamed about Alex.

He dreamed about the day she walked into his life with no warning, about the impact she was going to create upon her arrival, just that incredible feeling of attraction that reached out of nowhere and shoved his heart into a box before hand delivering it to her forever. When Alex had stepped off the coach that first day, she had captured all their attention. They had stared at her like schoolboys, watching her sweep out of the carriage, skirt flouncing behind her with that wave of jet worn loose around her shoulders shimmering as she walked.

She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen as he watched her go about her business, determination in her face as she surveyed Four Corners for the first time and decided with a resolution of spirit that this was her home. He had only been that affected by any female once in his life, that had been Charlotte, but seeing Alex for the first time made that experience pale in comparison. He sat at the table with the rest of the seven, trying to look appreciative but not overly concerned, hiding the fact that inside his chest his heart was beating with the pace of a runaway train. He had wanted nothing but to go out there and introduce himself before the stark terror of actually speaking to a woman of this caliber impressed itself upon his brain. In light of what happened later on with Ezra, it was a decision Vin would spend many nights regretting.

Sometimes the dream would alternate between how it had been to how he would have liked things to have gone. There were times when he did have the courage to leave the table and introduce himself to her. Vin pictured himself interrupting Buck in his fruitless pursuit, tipping his hat to Alex as he revealed his name with no difficulty whatsoever in overcoming his shyness at that point. He envisioned Alex meeting his eyes and then giving him  _that_  smile, the one which would always make him melt in his boots with the knowledge that she loved him too.

In the dreamscape, she would have eyes for no one but him. Alex would ask him to escort her to the hotel and then invite him upstairs to her room. They would make such fiery and passionate love there that the sheets would literally be set on fire. After which they would lie together in a tangle of sweaty, warm flesh, breathing in the heady scent of their lustful pleasure in the aftermath of such a soul-searching experience. He would hold her in his arms and tell her that he loved her and hear the same words from her, spoken with the sincerity he had dreamed of always hearing when he first realized that his soul mate had walked into his life.

_"Wake up Tanner!"_

Vin opened his eyes as that sharp voice tore him from Alex’s warm arms back to the cold reality of his jail cell. He heard Ritter dragging a tin cup across the bars of his cage, creating a sound that would wake the dead if they had not already risen from their graves. Flinching as the fog of sleep drifted from his mind, he lifted his head from the lumpy pillow of his cot and raised his eyes to the man, giving Ritter a dirty look for rousing him from such a satisfying dream.

"I’m up." Vin grumbled as he saw Ritter standing before his cell staring down at him with that same contemptuous expression he had been wearing since Vin placed himself in his custody. Ritter’s mood had not improved with the arrival of Vin’s lawyer the night before. The man had amazingly given Vin some measure of hope by his pointed questions to the sheriff about the caliber of the gun that had been used to kill Jesse Kindcaid.

"Thank you Sheriff Ritter for that charming wake up." Ezra Standish who had spent the last hour in the chair dozing lightly had been aroused from his repose just as abruptly. The gambler stretched in his chair before standing up to adjust his rumpled clothing.

"You got a visitor." Ritter muttered unhappily, giving the gambler a dark look as he walked away.

A visitor? Vin immediately sat up in bed and exchanged a glance with Ezra who shrugged his shoulders, being just as mystified at who it might be. There was one brief moment when a surge of hope surfaced inside Vin, thinking it might be Alex, before his senses returned and he told himself he did not want to see her and suspected she knew him well enough to make that determination on her own. However as he heard approaching footsteps, his gaze shifted to Ezra who caught first sight of his guest, who appeared pleasantly stunned by the new arrival.

"Why Madam, this is a surprise." Ezra burst into a smile of genuine pleasure.

"Howdy Vin." Nettie Wells stepped in front of his cell to his utter amazement.

"Ma’am." Vin immediately stood up, unable to deny that it was good to see the lady even in this unfortunate circumstance. "What...what are you doing here?" he stammered.

"Alex sent me here." Nettie explained as Ezra immediately vacated his chair and brought it forward for her use.

Somehow that did not surprise Vin. If Alex could not be here herself, it was natural that she would sent Nettie because the old lady had a tendency to make him feel better when things were at their worst. This situation certainly qualified.

"How is she?" Vin asked when Nettie had seated herself down.

"She’s doing okay." Nettie replied holding a neutral expression on her face, remembering Alex’s instructions to not let Vin know that she was here in Tascosa just yet. Although Nettie disagreed with Alex on that point, she was not about to betray the young woman’s trust and could almost understand her reason for wanting her presence here to remain a secret. "I assume you’ve met the lawyer she got you by now."

"Yeah," Vin nodded. "Seems smart enough."

"According to JD, the man had the sheriff properly cowed." Ezra informed Nettie since Vin was never too specific about these things. "It does appear that he may have some kind of legal defense prepared to counter the charge of murder."

"She did say he was the best she could find." Nettie remarked. "She’s mighty worried about you Vin but she was holding together the last time I saw her."  _Which was ten minutes ago_ , Nettie thought inwardly.

"Good," Vin nodded, trying to hide the longing he felt at wanting to see her from Nettie and Ezra. "I don’t want her here in case anything bad happens."

"Now don’t talk like that." Nettie said firmly, not wanting to even contemplate the possibility of Vin Tanner coming to that end. She cared about him dearly and the idea of him hanging was making her so fraught with worry she could barely stand it. Nettie could not even imagine what Alex must be going through, and hoped it would not come to that. Nettie was not certain how Alex could endure losing Vin in such a terrible way, if at all. "You’re going to get out of here and you’re gonna be with Alex in no time at all. She believes it and so should you."

"I do agree with the lady on that account," Ezra added. Like the rest of the seven, the gambler hated the idea of Vin being trapped in this place and ending his days at the end of a rope. "You must not abandon hope Mr. Tanner, none of us have."

As much as Vin might like to believe that, he was too much of a realist to assume that hope alone would free him from this cage. Even though he did not like to express it to anyone, he utterly hated being inside this cell and wanted more than anything to escape these walls. He had spent the most of last night staring through the small barred window of his cell, trying to see the stars in the sky above, praying silently that his last view of it before his death would not be from inside this prison.

"How long are you staying Nettie?" Vin asked, wishing to avoid that particular subject now because he had no wish to share with them just how pessimistic he was about his chances of escaping this place alive. Despite Alex’s employment of a lawyer for him, Vin knew that there was no real evidence to prove he did not kill Jesse Kincaid no matter how cleverly the man might use his words. He did not want feel any false hope, only to learn later that it was a wasted effort to begin with.

"Thanks to that gal of yours, I can stay as long as you need me." Nettie said firmly.

It did please Vin to hear that much. If Alex could not be here, it was nice to know that Nettie would be around. "Does Alex plan on coming here at all?" He tried to keep the hope out of his voice but he could not help it. He wanted to see her badly and yet he did not want her to be here at the same time. He could not bear for her to see him like this, and yet he ached not being with her or seeing her. She was the only thing that could make his tenure inside this hell of stone and steel bars tolerable.

"I don’t know." Nettie remarked. She felt her insides ache at having to lie to Vin but she had promised Alex. "She thought it would make it harder for you if she were here."

"It would," he said softly, trying not to let the disappointment show in his eyes even though Alex was right. It would make it so much harder, not only to see her but also to live with the decision he had made to stand trial and face judgement, however it ended. She was the only reason he had not put Four Corners behind him and made some attempt to clear his name before Jamieson had come for him. "Well, when the time comes and this thing don’t go my way. I don’t want her here."

"Vin..."Ezra started to say.

"I mean it Ezra." he said firmly and looked both Nettie and Ezra in the eye when he made this statement. "If it comes down to it that I’m gonna hang, I don’t want her to know until its over. That’s one thing I don’t need to have her see."

"You cannot make us promise something like that Mr. Tanner," Ezra said just as firmly. "You may love her, but as her friend, so do I, and she would never forgive any of us, if we were to keep that information from her. I am afraid, if it does come down to it as you say, that is one task you are going to have to do yourself."

Strangely enough, Nettie said nothing to back Ezra’s statement when everything about her told Vin that she would have. In any case, the gambler was right, with or without her supporting his statement. He could not ask his friends to perform a task like that for him, as this was one thing he had to do on his own. He just wished he did not have to look Alex in the eye and tell her when all hope had drained and there was nothing left for them but farewells, that it was time for her to let him go. Vin prayed that he had the courage to do that and Alex had the same to endure it.

* * *

While Nettie was visiting Vin at the jailhouse, Alex took the opportunity to seek out Chris Larabee. The gunslinger had not been surprised to see her in Tascosa, particularly after hearing from JD that she had hired a lawyer for Vin’s defense. Chris had more or less expected such action from Alex, once the doctor had recovered her senses enough to act. Alexandra Styles was the most capable woman Chris had ever met, with the exception of Mary Travis. He sometimes sensed that she was more held together than his best friend, even though it served her to let Vin think otherwise. While she could be an emotional creature, after all she  _was_ female, Chris had found her to be quite resolute when she pulled herself together.

He had been in the saloon when Alex found him, the lady not caring at all that a saloon was no place for her. She was viewed mostly with distaste by the general public who saw her as nothing more than another colored woman and did not expect much from her in the way of morals, even though she was dressed with the finery of a lady. Chris spotted her immediately upon her entering the establishment, and felt some measure of relief in seeing her, knowing that it would certainly raise Vin’s spirits to have Alex here. He spotted her first because it was his nature to keep an eye on anyone that came through the door of any new place he happened to be situated.

"Alex." Chris called out as he neared her.

  
Alex who looking about her self consciously as she moved deeper into the premises let out a sigh of relief at seeing her lover’s best friend. "Chris." She said with a faint smile. Without thinking about it, she gave him a hug perhaps needing it. Chris returned the hug warmly. "How is Vin?" she asked immediately. Gideon Dunwillhad told her last night that Vin appeared in good health but she could not rest easy until she heard it from Chris.

"He ain’t happy about being locked up, but he’s alright for the moment. He’ll be happy to see you." he remarked.

"No he won’t," she shook his head. "Chris I don’t want him to know I’m here, not yet." she said quickly, wanting this established before any further conversation. "I don’t want anyone telling him I’m here either."

Chris did not have to ask why, he understood that well enough. It would be too difficult for Vin to see her, especially if the trial did not go well. Vin was proud, and having the most important person in his life see him in jail was something the tracker could not abide. Obviously, Alex loved him enough not to make him endure such pain. "All right," he nodded quietly. "I’ll tell the others."

"Good," she let out another sigh, glad that she did not have to discuss that particular topic in further depth. She was having enough trouble keeping herself from going to the jailhouse and being with him without having to debate the decision with his friends. "Can we talk? I don’t feel particularly comfortable here."

Chris could appreciate that and quickly replied. "Wait outside," he instructed. "I’ll be there in a minute."

Alex complied immediately and disappeared out the batwing doors as Chris returned to the others and appraised them of the situation. While they were confused that Alex did not want Vin to know that she was in Tascosa, they did not question it, particularly since Chris seemed to be supporting the decision and believed that it would make Vin’s incarceration all the more difficult. Before leaving the saloon, Chris gave the rest of them orders as to what they needed do while he was with Alex. Certain events had piqued his interest after the near lynching the night before. Chris was starting to believe that the town of Tascosa was a place of secrets, and at the heart of it was Jesse Kincaid.

To save Vin’s life, they had to uncover those secrets.

"So tell me," Alex said, once Chris had joined her outside the saloon and they started walking to the hotel where she was staying. "How is Vin really?"

"Not good." Chris confessed. "He doesn’t think he’s going to leave that cell."

Alex let out a heavy sigh, wishing that she could be there to offer him comfort. "God I wish he had never come here." She tried to keep her emotions under control but it was impossible. "I wish he had just kept going. Anything would have been better than coming here to face judgement like a sacrificial lamb."

"He couldn’t keep running forever Alex," Chris said gently even though he knew if the roles were different and it was Mary running for her life, Chris would feel the exact same way as Alex.

"I know that," Alex nodded, trying to sound brave but not quite managing it. "I just hope Mr. Dunwill can help him."

"That’s the lawyer?" Chris inquired, having heard about Mr. Dunwill’s conduct from JD the night before. He was glad that they had a legal expert to work in Vin’s defense, because when it came down to it really, that was Vin’s only real avenue of escape in the light of Ely Joe's death.

"Yes, he’s waiting for us in the restaurant." she replied as they reached the boardwalk across the street from the saloon. The hotel was only a few yards further up the street. "I thought that it might be a good idea for you to meet him, maybe you can give him some insight into what happened with Ely Joe that could be useful when the judge finally shows up."

"Good idea." he agreed. "The evidence against Vin is pretty iron clad. The sheriff based his guilt entirely on Vin finding the body and using it to impersonate Ely Joe for the reward money."

"You know these towns better than I do," Alex replied shrugging her shoulders, unable to think of any argument that could be used in Vin’s defense, other than ignorance. "They don’t exactly follow the rules of due process here."

"Not when it wasn’t so long ago they used to lynch people for murder." Chris admitted as they reached the hotel.

"Yes," she nodded grimly. "I heard they tried to do that to Vin last night."

"We stopped it." Chris pointed out, not wanting her to worry herself any more than she already was.

They entered the hotel restaurant, which was mostly empty at this time of day since the breakfast crowd had gone and the staff were preparing for the dining hall for the patrons that would soon be arriving for lunch. Gideon Dunhill occupied a table for four in the center of the room, the immediate space before his cup of coffee was covered in books and papers as he scoured all the information on the case before him. He had glanced upwards long enough to see his party arriving and immediately called out to Chris and Alex as if either of them could miss him.

"Doctor Styles!" He waved them over.

Alex and Chris exchanged glances and she could tell the gunslinger was not particularly impressed despite JD’s glowing report. Then again, when was Chris Larabee ever impressed about anything, she thought to herself as they proceeded to the table and introductions were made all around. Gideon and Chris regarded each other as if they were two different creatures, from different worlds for that matter. Alex remained silent, even though she was tempted to smile at the difference between one man who looked as if he belonged in a library in his tweed suit and bow tie while the other was nothing less than predatory and completely menacing in his clothes of black.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance Mr. Larabee." Gideon extended his hand and did not complain when Chris merely tipped his hat in his direction and sat down.

"So," Alex said to Gideon once they had were all seated. "You’ve gone through the case, what do you think?" She asked him mostly for Chris’ benefit. While outwardly most people would think Chris’ intelligence extended only as far as the bullets in his gun, his friends knew better. Chris had one of the sharpest intellects Alex had ever known, and one of the most honed instincts as well. The man could smell a lie a mile away and spot a con even faster than Ezra could try to slip an ace up his sleeve.

"I think we have a good chance of acquittal if we can move the trial elsewhere." Gideon answered, taking off his glasses and starting to clean them with the big white handkerchief he had just retrieved from his pocket.

"Why?" Chris asked shortly.

"I do not think Mr. Tanner can receive a fair trial in this community. If the doctor I spoke with to get the report on the ammunition removed from the body, and the sheriff are any indication of public sentiment in this town, finding twelve impartial men to preside over this case is going to be next to impossible." Gideon replied.

"Well they were ready to lynch him last night." Alex pointed out. "That’s hardly an impartial community."

"Precisely," Gideon agreed. "We’re going to need to move the trial to another locality. I am aiming for Amarillo. Its close enough to Tascosa for the adjournment to be no more than a few days and far enough to keep gossip from hampering juror’s prudence." His gaze shifted towards Chris. "That means..."

"I know what it means." Chris gave him a look.

"I apologize." Gideon cleared his throat, not missing the menace in those eyes. "If we move the trial to Amarillo, it is possible that we have a chance of freeing Mr. Tanner. As I indicated to you before, the question of ammunition is an important one. Mr. Tanner’s habits, from a dozen witnesses in the surrounding towns where he had claimed bounties prior to hunting Ely Joe, indicate that he has always been partial to using a Winchester 30 –30 bolt action rifle. In fact, he is so adverse to using any kind of other firearm, he usually models his rifles to be used as a handgun, does he not?"

"He does." Chris agreed, aware that the first thing Vin had done after acquiring himself the rifle he would take to the Seminole village was to saw off the barrel and fashion a holster so the weapon could be worn on his hip, like a hand gun.

"Excellent," Gideon said pleased with that response. "If we can prove to the jury that Mr. Tanner is not likely to abandon the weapon of his choice to use a gun with a 45 caliber bullet to kill Mr. Kincaid, we might be able to plant a question of reasonable doubt."

"Reasonable doubt?" Alex looked at him, puzzled by the term.

"It means," Chris spoke up and surprised them both. "That there might be enough suspicious circumstance around the death to bring up the possibility that Vin might not have done it."

"Exactly." Gideon said with a smile, impressed with Chris’ understanding of the situation, as well as his emerging acumen. "Also, the gun has yet to be found, which means that Mr. Tanner might have disposed of it which is a redundant gesture since the ballistic of the bullet is very clear to anyone who might look, or simply that its true owner might still be in possession of it."

"There’s something else," Chris brought up the subject of something that had been bothering him since the incident of the previous evening. "Last night, someone tried to stir up a mob to lynch Vin."

"I heard." Alex shuddered at the news, grateful that Chris and the others were here to prevent that from happening.

"Yes, frightful business." Gideon remarked, clearly disapproving. "Unfortunately, not unusual in small frontier towns like this."

"I don’t know about that," Chris did not want to go into a discussion about law in small towns, considering his unique position in Four Corners as lawman. "But the man who fired everyone up was gone when the mob when to the jailhouse."

"What do you mean gone?" The lawyer looked at him, not understanding.

"He stirred them up but he didn’t lead them to the jailhouse. Someone else did."

"That’s strange." Alex said with her brow knitting in confusion. While the whole idea of a lynching sounded just plain awful, particularly when it related to the man she loved, she could see Chris’ concern. "Why go to all that trouble?"

"Unless you wanted Vin to die before he went to trial so no questions were asked." Chris pointed out because this was where his ruminations had led him. "I’ve been thinking lately about what if Ely Joe didn’t kill a random victim? He came out of his way to Tascosa to frame Vin, he could have just done it because he had reason to kill someone here."

"I say, that is an interesting point." Gideon remarked, pushing his glasses further up his nose as he sat up in his chair and started scribbling in his notebook. "If we could prove that a third party might be involved, even to the slightest degree, that would assist our cause quite effectively. Are you able to find out who this person that instigated the action last night might be?"

"The sheriff gave me a name." Chris answered automatically. "His name is Caleb Patterson, apparently he is rancher in these parts."

"Mr. Larabee," Gideon looked at him seriously, confident now that he was dealing with no fool and that the gunslinger might be able to ferret out information that was invaluable to his friend. "It might be prudent to see if there is any history between Mr. Kincaid and Mr. Patterson. If there is a reason why Mr. Patterson does not want questions raised at a trial, it would serve us very well to know that they might be."

"I’ve got Buck asking around" the gunslinger replied, having given those instructions to his old friend prior to his departure from the saloon earlier. "Buck tends to be kind of easy going so people don’t mind talking to him."

"In the mean time," the lawyer replied, closing his notebook after making more notations. "I shall attempt to gain an interview with Mrs. Kincaid. While your associate attempts to get information from town, I will see about questioning the widow Kincaid on that same point. She may know something that was previously incidental to her but of great assistance to us, if Mr. Patterson is somehow involved in foul play. I believe her name is Amanda, she owns an establishment called Amanda’s Sewing Circle."

Chris looked up sharply. He remembered the woman who had been watching Vin closely as they rode into town. There was something about the way she had stared at the tracker had captured Chris’ notice almost immediately. When everyone else had been glaring at the tracker in unmasked dislike, she was different. She had merely stared at him with something akin to compassion and sorrow, and Chris had come away not understanding why that would be. In light of what they were learning about Patterson and Kincaid since arriving in Tascosa, had that look been engendered by a secret knowledge that might shed light on Vin’s innocence?

"You do that." Chris said quietly. "I think you’re right." he said not knowing why he was so absolute on this. "I think she does know something."

* * *

"Amanda, you don’t got to do this." Ritter said to her as she stood before his desk.

"I have the right to see my husband’s killer." Amanda Kincaid replied firmly as she stared at Ritter’s face, full of determination to have her will done. This argument had gone on for a few minutes now, ever since she had entered the jailhouse and made her intentions known. "Please Joshua." She repeated herself. "I need to see him."

Ritter did not like this. He cared a great deal for Amanda, who had managed to pull her life together following the death of her husband Jesse. Although she was always a quiet little thing, he had respected her ability to endure in a place like Tascosa, where most women of her ilk would have packed up and left for greener pastures where a woman might get along better. Not Amanda. Following Jesse’s death she had only improved her situation by selling his farm and starting herself a little business that was doing quite well.

"All right," he conceded, unable to see any reason to deny her request and she was right, she deserved the right to face Vin Tanner. "Just for a few minutes."

"Thank you," she smiled slightly and that was quite a display for Amanda for she always so silent and so devoid of happiness. He figured she must have really loved Jesse and not recovered from his death.

Ritter led her to the cells where Tanner’s colored friend sat watch that nothing unfortunate took place while he was in custody. Although Ritter was offended by the insinuation, the man in black was absolute on this point and Jamieson had ordered him to tolerate the imposition just to keep the peace.

"On your feet Tanner." Ritter announced their arrival as he reached the cell in question. "You got another visitor and you better be on your best damn behavior for her or there’ll be hell to pay."

Vin did not recognize the woman as he got to his feet and saw Nathan do the same, watching the proceedings carefully as she came before his cell. Her eyes had difficulty meeting his and Vin recognized her as the one who had been staring at him when he had first come into town.

"This is here is Amanda Kincaid." Ritter said gruffly. "The wife of the man you murdered."

Both Nathan and the widow Kincaid flinched at that term and the healer threw the sheriff a look of disgust at making Vin endure this punishment, especially when he did not commit the crime of taking this woman’s husband from her. She met Vin’s gaze with her soulfully blue eyes and Vin found himself thinking that she was indeed a fragile looking creature that looked as if she needed protecting. However, there was no anger in her eyes, no hatred or any visible hostility, which only served to confuse him.

"Josh," she said quietly, not meeting the sheriff’s gaze when she spoke. "Do you think I can have a moment with him alone?"

"Amanda, I don’t think that’s such a good idea......." Ritter started to protest.

"Please Josh?" she asked, turning those eyes on him and losing him in their blue depths. Vin could see submission in the older man’s face as soon as she looked at him.

"Sure." He nodded and turned to Nathan. "That means you too."

Nathan did not like leaving Vin but the tracker did not sense danger from this woman and quickly spoke up to reassure him. "Its okay Nate," he answered, uncertain what made him believe that. "I think I’ll be all right."

Nathan frowned, disliking the idea, but not wanting Vin to think that he had no control over anything and complied reluctantly when he proceeded to follow the sheriff out into the next room.

Amanda did not speak until the two were gone and she was completely alone with Vin. Vin let her speak first because it was she who requested this audience. He expected her to ask for an apology for her husband’s death and hated to disappoint the woman but he had no intention of admitting that he killed Kincaid when he had not.

"I am sorry." she said softly and left him speechless for a moment with her words.

"Sorry?" Vin stared back at her in confusion once he had recovered enough to respond.

"I am sorry you were caught." Her voice became slightly louder and he had the impression that she did not speak much. There was a reservation to her voice that he could identify with, and it reminded Vin of how he used to be when he had first joined the seven. It had been exceedingly difficult for him to converse with the others when he was so used to being alone all the time. A flash of insight told Vin that she so soft spoken because like him, she was accustomed to staying in the background where she would not be noticed. There was something inside of her that had known great restraint in her lifetime and Vin wondered why that was.

"Why?" Vin managed to ask perplexed by her apology. "I’m supposed to have killed your husband" he pointed out.

"They said you killed him," she continued to speak just as quietly as before. "I don’t know that you did. I didn’t see it with my own eyes so I’m not going to accuse you. I just wanted to say I’m sorry that you got caught."

This was confusing him. "I don’t understand."

"He wasn’t a good man." she said softly, her lips quivering when she made this admission as if it was something deeply personal and difficult to reveal. "When he died, I was free for the first time in a long time and I am grateful for that." Her eyes started to fill with tears and she couldn’t look at him any more, needing to turn away from him to compose herself.

And suddenly Vin understood.

"Did he hurt you ma’am?" he finally asked, once she had faced him again. Her cheeks were still damp, even though she had wiped the moisture away. Vin Tanner knew nothing about Jesse Kincaid, even though he had been accused of his murder these past three years, but meeting his widow now explained much about the man, and Vin decided that perhaps in some way, though not beneficial to himself, Kincaid deserved what he got.

She stepped away, unable to answer, even though her eyes told him everything. "I am sorry Mr. Tanner. I hoped they would never catch you. I was just happy to have him gone."

With that, she hurried away leaving him new questions and no answers.

* * *

When Chris returned to the others inside the saloon, he had decided that perhaps Alex’s selection of a lawyer was indeed the best chance for Vin’s eventual freedom, even though he had not been entirely impressed with Mr. Gideon Dunwill to begin with. However, Dunwill’s suggestions and attention to the minor details that most might forget was quite logical and astute. While Chris did not know that this was altogether enough to secure Vin’s freedom, or capable of clearing his name, the gunslinger had to admit that he had more hope of that happening now than he did this morning.

When he returned to the saloon, Chris learnt that Buck had gone to take his turn guarding Vin at the jailhouse but had spent the hours before quite productively in his search for information about Caleb Patterson. As expected, none of the townsfolk had been willing to talk to them because they were Vin’s companions, however, Buck had used that amazing charm of his to coax several working girls and one barmaid to impart what was known about the man in regards to general gossip.

As Chris bought himself a beer and sat down to join the others at their table, he noticed that the furtive glances and icy looks had yet to fade away. Tascosa still saw them as nothing more than outlaws protecting a murderer, but last night’s display had ensured that tangling with any of Vin Tanner’s companions was a fatal mistake. The gunslinger nestled himself back in his chair, preparing to listen to what Buck’s digging had turned up, since he had passed the knowledge acquired to those at the table prior to leaving.

"So what do we know about Patterson?" Chris asked, eager for some information that Dunwill could use in a court of law.

"Well the man is a rancher, but also a rather wealthy landowner. His spread has swallowed up a number of smaller properties in recent years, including the Kincaid place." Ezra said, reciting what Buck had told him before the man’s departure when he had gone to assume his turn at guarding Vin Tanner.

"His wife must have sold up after he passed on." Chris commented, assuming that was the natural order of things when a woman alone was left a property like this.

"Apparently so, however, Patterson had been after the place for quite some time." Ezra said exchanging glances with Josiah and the others at the table, which immediately incurred Chris’ immediate suspicion.

"Why?" he demanded, wondering if this was the history Dunwill had mentioned earlier.

"If Mr. Wilmington’s information is to be assumed as correct," Ezra continued after taking a sip of his beer and wetting his throat in order to continue, "four years ago, the only source of water on the Patterson place went dry and the ranch found itself in dire straits by not having an adequate supply of water for its livestock. This state of affairs caused quite a bit of difficulty for Mr. Patterson and a few of the neighboring homesteads, except for the Kincaid place, whose water supply did manage to survive the drought."

"Makes things kind of interesting, don’t you think?" Josiah drawled meeting Chris’ eyes with a clear gleam of suggestion.

"Very," Chris agreed. "Go on."

"Mr. Kincaid was not one to let a golden opportunity slip by him and was willing to allow his neighbors access to his water, naturally at a tidy profit. The monetary restitution was reasonable to begin with but as time progressed, Kincaid became enraptured by avarice and began making more exorbitant demands. Patterson, who had the most to lose by this, eventually offered to buy the property for a very generous amount."

"Let me guess," Chris remarked, stopping Ezra for a moment because he could just imagine what was coming without having to hear it from the gambler. "Kincaid refused."

"Kincaid refused, much to Mr. Patterson’s annoyance." Ezra confirmed his supposition somberly. "Patterson, as most men trapped in a corner are inclined to do, employed more aggressive methods of convincing Kincaid to sell but the man held fast."

"Then along comes Vin, supposedly," Nathan took over the narration. "Kills Kincaid and Patterson’s problems are over. Within a month of his death, Mrs. Kincaid sells the place to him. He was good enough to keep the original offer on the table so she got a lot of money for her losing her husband."

"So there’s the connection." Chris mused, seeing it all come together with that bit of information.

"What connection Chris?" JD asked, never seeing the big picture unless it was explained to him. He assumed that when he had few more years under his belt, he would see the darker side of things as these men did so easily.

"That lawyer of Vin’s reckons that there might have been some history between Kincaid and Patterson. Might explain why he was so fired up to get Vin lynched last night and not take part in it." Chris replied. "It makes sense if he had something to do with Kincaid getting killed. Now we put it on the table that Ely Joe might not have picked his victim at random. What if he didn’t?" The gunslinger looked at his friends with that proposal. "What if Ely Joe was paid to kill him?"

"He wanted to frame Vin to get him off his back, so he used the victim he had to kill anyway to do it." Josiah nodded, theorizing out loud. "Makes things mighty convenient."

"It certainly does," Ezra agreed with their line of reasoning. "Unfortunately, how do we prove it?"

"Trust you to rain on a perfectly good plan." Nathan frowned because there was no easy answer to that question.

"But he’s right," Chris sighed. "We do have to prove it."

"There’s something else though," Nathan mentioned, now that they were on the subject of proof and possibilities. Vin had told him something of the encounter he had earlier that day with Mrs. Kincaid when she had come to see him at the jailhouse. "I don’t know what it means, if anything at all, but Kincaid’s wife came to see Vin today."

"At the jailhouse?" JD inquired somewhat warily, unable to imagine that meeting would be anything but unpleasant for Vin.

"How unfortunate." Ezra sighed. "Is Mr. Tanner alright?"

"He’s fine." Nathan said realizing they expected the worse and quickly continued to alleviate any concerns about Vin following the meeting. "She told him that she was sorry he was caught and that she had prayed that he would stay free."

"That’s weird." JD exclaimed. "I kind of thought she would be mad at him."

"You would not be wrong in that assumption JD." Josiah looked at Nathan quizzically. "Strange behavior from a woman mourning her husband."

"Unless there was no reason to mourn." Nathan replied. "She told Vin that she was freed when Kincaid died so she was not  _that_  sorry to see him go."

"What a man does with his wife behind closed doors is for no one to know." Chris said quietly, starting to understand now the sadness and tragedy etched in the face he had seen. She had appeared to him so wounded, and with her description of Kincaid’s death as her freedom, he could appreciate why that was. "I’ve known wives who suffered a lot of things because they married the wrong men."

"Then she’d be likely to help Vin if she could." JD remarked.

"I don’t see why not." Chris replied. "If Patterson had something to do with the murder, the more I know about him, I’m becoming pretty sure of it, she could be the only person who could get Vin out of this mess."

* * *

Gideon Dunwill and Alexandra Styles found themselves outside the establishment known as Amanda’s Sewing Circle later that day. Judging by the number of women entering and leaving the premises, it was obvious the business was doing brisk trade. It was a rather cozy looking establishment with nice brush script printed across the glass window and a blue awning that stretched across the walkway. Through the window the duo could see Amanda herself, dealing with her customers, and waited until the room had emptied considerably before choosing to enter themselves.

"She’s doing well." Alex commented as they watched the patrons coming and going, all wearing expressions of satisfied service on their faces with their departure. Amanda had not noticed the two strangers who were outside her door and had disappeared into the backrooms, taking momentary advantage of the solitude to tend to some business beyond the main shop floor.

"She has had considerable time to perfect the art." Gideon pointed out. "She’s been on her own for almost three years, I suppose it must have been necessary to develop a good business sense."

Alex could not argue with that. Living in the west had taught her one thing very quickly, the weak did not survive long in such harsh frontier territory. That Amanda Kincaid had survived well enough to arrive at this point was a testament to her mettle. Alex sincerely hoped that she would be able to give Gideon some information that might assist Vin in his upcoming legal battle. She knew she probably should have stayed in the hotel room and let the lawyer handle this on his own, but Alex had insisted on accompanying Gideon to this interview with Kincaid’s wife because she was going crazy with nothing to do. While Nettie kept a vigil on Vin in jail, Alex could do nothing but linger inside her room, with nothing more than her thoughts to occupy her, and too many of those were screaming the futility of her actions for her to tolerate them.

The bell attached to the door announced their presence when they walked through, and by then, she and Gideon were the only ones left in the shop. The main trade was done in the knitting, darning and other garment repair services provided by the proprietress and as they entered the establishment, she emerged from the backrooms to greet them from behind the counter.

Gideon had instructed Alex to let him conduct the interview prior to their entrance here. While he understood his client’s need to occupy her mind, he did not wish her to complicate matters by any unsolicited opinions at this delicate encounter. She was intelligent woman, this Doctor Styles and was able to appreciate the need for her silence. Thus while Gideon took center stage, she busied herself by browsing through the selection of material that made up the store’s merchandise.

"Can I help you?" Amanda asked in a too soft voice that made Gideon’s skin tingle for reason. She was not what one would call a stunning beauty but there was something about her that left one thinking she was ethereal in her appearance.

"Yes," he replied politely. "Permit me to introduce myself, I am Gideon Dunwill. This is my associate, Miss Alexandra Styles." Alex turned around enough to offer a slight nod of greeting at Amanda before fading into the background and allowing Gideon to continue.

"I am acting legal counsel for Vin Tanner, the man accused...." Gideon started to say.

"I know who he is." she answered automatically, that mask of passive indifference holding firm over her face even though her eyes were fluid with emotion.

Alex said nothing as she observed Gideon and Amanda without offering comment, pretending to keep her focus on the merchandise instead of their conversation. It was understandable of course if she held some hostile emotions towards the lawyer and Vin, after all, it was her husband who was killed and Gideon was the one defending the man accused of that crime.

"I know it is a terrible imposition but I wonder if I could have a moment of your time. I need to ask you a few questions about the day your husband died." Gideon responded contritely, hoping that she was not going to be too distressed by the request. He expected a refusal or some protest because it was usually the way with spouses. Two decades of experience had taught him that much. However, she displayed no signs of anger as she nodded slightly in that unassuming manner that made him wonder why she was so reserved and what forces had taken place in her life to drive the spirit inside her so deep beneath the surface.

"What do you need to know?" she responded to his surprise and Alex’s.

"Uh," he shook his head recovering from her unexpected cooperation. "I just need to hear from your recollection, what you remember of that day."

"All right," she nodded slowly as she looked away, attempting to bring up the information that would help him. "There is not much to tell though." She began slowly and took note of Mr. Gideon’s companion paying very close attention to her words, having forgotten all about the floral pattern she had been busily perusing.

"Anything you can remember will assist us." Gideon remarked quickly.

"I doubt it," she shrugged. "I got up early that morning because I had some errands in town. Jesse said something about fixing a broken fence or gate," her brow knotted as she tried to remember what exactly had needed mending that day. "He took off before I left and he seemed fine then. It was the last time I saw him." she concluded, turning away for a moment as she made that statement.

"I am sorry for your loss." Gideon offered with genuine sincerity.

"Thank you," Amanda said quickly, taking note of his associate who was watching her closely as she made that response. "But he’s been gone for three years and you get accustomed to putting things in the past."

"I can understand that." Gideon nodded. "I suppose you did not see anyone about that day that might have stood out in your mind. Anything unusual at all?"

"No," she shook her head after giving it another moment of consideration. "Nothing at all."

"Well, we did try." Gideon glanced over his shoulder at Alex.

"Do you think you will be able to convince a judge that he did not do it?" Amanda inquired with more interest in her voice than there should be.

"We’re going to try." Gideon answered, somewhat surprised by her inquiry. She was taking it rather well and showing Mr. Tanner an inordinate amount of cooperation, considering he was accused of killing her husband. Even Doctor Styles had noticed it, even though she was keeping her opinions silent, content merely to observe the proceedings. "It will be difficult of course and dire if we fail."

"Yes," Amanda seemed troubled at that thought. "They’ll hang him if he is found guilty."

Instinctively, Alex reacted, even though she had not meant to reveal her relationship to Vin. Just the idea of him being strung up like an animal for a crime he did not commit, made her sick to her stomach, and the anguish she felt showed in her face. With that one instance of surfaced despair, she revealed to Amanda Kincaid exactly what her relationship was to Vin Tanner. "We’re hoping it doesn’t come to that." she said quickly, hoping to cover her reaction.

"You’re his wife?" Amanda asked, certain of what she had seen in Alex’s face.

Alex exchanged a look with Gideon in which she conveyed a silent apology to the man for revealing herself to Amanda this way. However, there did not seem to be much reason to lie, especially when it was obvious to Amanda what the truth was. "Not yet but we were hoping soon." She swallowed hard and forced away the sadness in her heart.

"I’m sorry." Amanda found herself saying. "It must be very hard on you."

"It is, but no more than it must have been when you lost your husband." Alex replied, grateful that Amanda was being so generous with her compassion. She would not have expected it from someone who believed the man she loved to be a murderer.

"I’ve coped with him being gone, but I am sorry about Mr. Tanner. They say he killed him, I don’t presume to make that judgment myself." Amanda admitted.

"That’s very good of you," Gideon replied, having said nothing all this time because he was keeping Mrs. Kincaid under tight scrutiny. He had not been pleased that the nature of Alex’s relationship had been revealed to Amanda, but her reaction was not what he would have expected. In fact, nothing about Mrs. Kincaid seemed to make any sense. "Thank you for your time Mrs. Kincaid, Alex it is time we were leaving."

"Yes," Alex offered the woman a look of warmth. "Thank you for your help."

"If I remember anything," Amanda offered, feeling sympathy for the sadness she saw in Alexandra Styles’ eyes because it was obvious she loved Tanner very much. "I’ll be sure to find you Mr. Dunwill."

"We would appreciate that." Gideon said with a smile. "We have lodgings at the hotel. Anything at all would be useful, no matter how insignificant it might seem."

"I’ll keep that in mind." Amanda nodded, feeling her breath quicken and her heart start to pound as she watched the duo take their leave of the shop. For a few seconds after they left, she continued to feel the heavy rumbling of her heart moving along at its juggernaut pace. It took a few minutes before she felt settled enough to continue her day, but the fear when it had come was palpable and paralyzing at the same time.

"Why did he give himself up!" Amanda exclaimed out loud, daring to speak because no one else was in the room with her. For thee years she had lived a blissful life of forgetfulness where she did not have to think about Jesse or the hell that had been her life before his death. She had walked away from that cursed farm a woman with a small stipend that allowed her to purchase this building and set up her business. It was all as perfect as she had always dreamed. Why did it all have to be dredged up again? She did not want to have to think about Jesse or his death!

When she had seen Tanner this morning, she had looked into his face and known that he had not killed Jesse. though Amanda had always known it was Ely Joe who had been responsible. However, meeting the tracker for the first time changed her perspective considerably, and no matter how she tried to dispel the thought that his fate had nothing to do with her, Amanda knew better. It had  _everything_  to do with her and she was the only who could keep him from hanging. It did not help that he was a good man. Amanda could tell that by how fiercely his friends defended him, not merely by their action of keeping a guard on him to ensure that no harm came to him in Ritter’s custody but also by how they had accompanied him here to Tascosa. They were determined that he had his day in court so that he could be proven innocent. However, even Amanda knew that with Ely Joe dead, that was going to be near impossible.

Unless she spoke up.

But she could not! Her guilt was eating her inside out but despite that she could not bring herself to bring the truth out in the open. No one knew what Jesse had been like behind closed doors. Part of her entrapment had been the clever way he had carried out his torture. He seldom left bruises where they could be seen, and when he had, he ensured that she did not come into town until they healed. Outwardly he behaved like the doting older husband with the young, beautiful wife. Amanda had heard the whispers about how Jesse was a wonderful husband, not knowing that behind their backs he was a monster.

How many times had he raped her when she had said no to him, like she was some possession who had no rights, not even upon her on body? How many beatings and cigar burns did she have on her body? How many times had he made her scream when the sheer despair of her situation had almost driven her to suicide? She had not even been strong enough to end her life because there was inside of her something that refused to give up on herself or her life, even after so many years of abuse. How could she tell people what she had endured and face their disbelief? How could she tell them all that when Jesse had died it was not a day of mourning for her but of relief where she had dropped to her knees in the privacy of her home and wept from the sheer joy of freedom.

She could not because they would never believe her. They knew he was a cold and greedy man for holding them ransom over the water on the farm, but they had not the slightest concept of the terror she had experienced during her marriage to him. And now, because she was not strong enough to face their doubt, an innocent man was going to die. Worse yet, she had now met the woman Tanner was to marry and the pain she had seen in Alexandra Styles was not the false projection she had displayed to everyone when news of Jesse’ death became known. The grief felt by Tanner’s woman was real, the kind of affection she herself had longed to feel for someone, until Jesse drove away any need for a man in her life ever again.

Amanda wished she could be  _that_  selfish. She wished she could forget the love she had seen for Tanner in his fiancée’s eyes and forget that in a number of days, a judge would decided his fate and sentence him for a crime for which he was not responsible. Tanner was young, not much older than she was actually, and his entire life would end because she was too weak to make the choice to save it.

Even in death, Jesse Kincaid still knew how to hurt her.

* * *

"I am sorry about what happened in there." Alex apologized to Gideon once they left the building behind them and made their way back to the hotel.

"Its perfectly all right." Gideon said gently, not wishing to admonish the young woman when she was already so troubled about her fiancée’. "If I were in your position I could not say I would fare much better."

"Thank you Gideon" she answered, genuinely touched. "I’m trying not to give up hope or to let it get to me, but I love him and every moment that he is in that cell just tears at me." Her voice dropped an octave as the emotions threatened to take hold of her again. "He has to be acquitted, Gideon. He can’t be hung for something he did not do, and he cannot be caged up for the rest of his life either. He’ll die in a cell, just as surely as a hanging would kill him."

"I promise you," the lawyer said with uncharacteristic feeling. It was not his habit to become so emotionally involved in his cases, but his clients, both Alexandra Styles and Vin Tanner, had touched the sentimental side of him more than he would like to admit. "If it is all possible, I will not allow that to happen."

"I know you won’t," she said turning away from him to compose herself while they continued walking to the hotel. "Vin has lived most of his life outdoors. He gets nervous if he has to spend more than an hour inside four walls. I can’t imagine what he must be feeling trapped inside that jailhouse." Alex knew she was losing her battle to contain her overflowing emotions, but Gideon did not seem to mind and it was strangely liberating being able to talk to a stranger who had a fresher perspective than most on things.

"Why don’t you go see him?" he asked, knowing that Tanner would very much like to see his ladylove, judging by the way he spoke about her. He was as much in love with her as she was with him. Gideon, who had been married for ten years to his dear wife Anica, could appreciate the intensity of such affection between two people."

"No," she shook her head, not even willing to contemplate the possibility. "No matter what he says, it would kill him for me to see him like that. Vin’s proud and I won’t take his dignity from him no matter how much I want to see him." And she did want to see him  _very_  much but each time she told herself that she was going to the jailhouse, Alex reminded herself that it was not her feelings she had to consider, it was Vin’s. "Besides, I could not stand to see him caged up like that. It would tear me apart," her voice started to tremble a little. "And I’m no good to him if I don’t hold together. What I have in here is what he needs right now most of all." She gestured to her head. "If I lose that, then I can do nothing to help him and that would be almost as bad as letting him die."

Gideon nodded in understanding and made a tactful change in subject so that she could collect herself once more. "Well I think that interview with Mrs. Kincaid was quite productive. I must admit her reaction was not at all what I expected" he confessed.

Alex nodded in agreement, with complete understanding of what he was talking about. When they had initially made the decision to see the woman, they had not expected as much as they had received in her cooperation. In fact, Alex was certain they would be turned out on their ear as soon as it was announced who they were and what they required of Mrs. Kincaid. Amanda Kincaid had surprised them both with her response. "I know what you mean. I really expected her throw us out."

"Quite." Gideon replied, thinking along those lines himself. "However, Mrs. Kincaid’s reaction was..." he paused briefly while attempting to find the right word to describe the entire encounter. "Interesting."

"Yes," Alex nodded, having noticed that with far more clarity that Gideon could possibly imagine. "It was very illuminating." She thought for a moment as the wheels of her mind began turning and suddenly what had previously been assumed by them all regarding the murder had taken on a very different aspect.

"She knows something." Alex declared with more certainty about this than anything else that had happened since this whole situation came to light once again.

"What makes you say that?" Gideon inquired, prepared to be astonished by Alexandra Styles once again. She had been a revelation upon revelation since their meeting and he was starting to be unsurprised about anything she came up with.

"Call it instinct if you like," Alex replied, unable to describe her perceptions with any more clarity than that. What she suspected was taking root and bringing forward a facet of Jesse Kincaid’s murder that no one had previously suspected. "I think there is more to it than she’s telling."


	7. Midnight in Tascosa

Chris Larabee could not sleep.

There was a time when the only requirement he needed to fall asleep was a bottle of whiskey in his hand and a space large enough to accommodate him when he finally passed out. Inwardly, he knew the reason for his restlessness as much as he might loathe admitting it, was the possibility that marriage might have made him accustomed to soft living. Still as he lay tossing and turning in this unfamiliar bed, he was unable to deny that he had such difficulty lapsing into slumber was because of Mary’s absence next to him.

Even though they had spent nights apart since their marriage, he could not deny that he missed having her in his bed and feeling her warmth beside him. He could not count the number of times that he had relished the feeling of rolling onto his side before draping his arm across her delicate waist before nuzzling up to her and breathing in the scent of lavender soap that lingered on her skin. Chris had on many a night drifted to sleep with that heavenly fragrance in his lungs. Chris confessed that part of the reason he was noticing Mary’s absence so intensely this time was mostly because he had the feeling that she had wanted to tell him something prior to his departure from Four Corners. However with everything that had transpiring at the time, the chance for her to do so had been lost in concerns over Vin’s safety and Alex’s state of mind. Hopefully whatever she had intended to reveal to him could wait until he returned home and Chris made a silent vow that he would ensure he made time for that conversation.

He finally gave up trying to sleep and got out of bed, searching through the darkness for the bottle of whiskey that still remained in its brown paper bag on top of the bureau. Chris grabbed it and unsealed the bottle because drifting to the window and staring beyond the glass at the quiet streets. There was nothing stirring at this hour of the night and in the twilight, he found that Tascosa did not seem like such a bad place. Of course, he had obvious reasons to be so adverse to this community since it was from here Vin Tanner’s troubles had originated.

Chris tried not to worry about his best friend even though things were looking up considerably since this whole situation began. The murder of Jesse Kincaid had followed Vin for as long as Chris had known him. If they had not chosen to take a break in Four Corners following their first adventure together in the Seminole village, it was likely Chris would have accompanied the tracker to this town almost three years ago. However, events in Four Corners had kept them there and both men were unknowingly on the verge of great change in their lives. At the time, Chris would have gratefully left Four Corners forever, sensing the shift in the wind that told him that his life was catching with him even though he was counting the minutes to his death. He had known that he was at a crossroads the first time he had laid eyes on Mary Travis.

It had taken longer for Vin but eventually the tracker who had lived a nomadic existence most of his life had been just as lost when Doctor Alexandra Styles made her arrival in Four Corners. Chris had to admire her mettle and knew that if it were not for Mary, he would have found Alex just as exciting a creature as Vin obviously did. He was impressed by how she had regained her usual resilience to provide the assistance that not even Chris could manage. She knew better than they all did except for Chris himself that Vin had needed a lawyer from the very beginning. Though she never spoke of it to him, how quickly she retained the services of Gideon Dunwill and had him travel to Tascosa was proof that she had given some thought to Vin’s situation long before Jamieson had arrived.

Chris had always known that eventually the price on Vin’s head would catch up with them and confessed to becoming complacent because things had settled so nicely with all the men lately. Buck, married and with a new daughter, who have figured that? Certainly not Chris since Buck’s roving eye for a fresh piece of tail was almost like a force of nature. Just like Ezra who had finally regained his beloved saloon and loving every minute of it that he was now Inez’s boss after she had been managing the place for so long. Not to mention that someday soon, they would have to address Nathan Jackson as Doctor instead of plain old Nate. That really did please Chris because finally the healer was going to get the recognition he deserved. Meanwhile Josiah’s friendship with Audrey King was moving along a lethargic yet healthy pace for a man who was more of a romantic about the ladies than anyone else, while JD was becoming a man right before their eyes.

Chris was ruminating on such things when he heard footsteps coming down the hall outside. Instinctively and out of sheer habit, he retrieved the pearl handled peacemaker from his gun belt hanging on one of the posts of the bed head. Chris cocked the weapon quietly, listening for the footsteps, which were advancing down the corridor, past all the other rooms and appeared to be definitely closing in on his. He held his breath, moving deeper into the darkness as he saw the crack of light beneath his door obscured by the intruder’s shadowy approach.

A loud crack of snapping wood followed the door swinging open abruptly after it suffered a swift and powerful kick that tore the lock from the doorway. Light poured into the room as a man brandishing a shotgun appeared at the door way and was about to fire when Chris who already had the drop on him, even though he did not know it at this point, remarked rather calmly in great deference to the present situation.

"Can I do something for you?" Chris asked coolly as he stepped out of the shadows and appraised the man of his present circumstances.

Realising that the situation had altered drastically than from what he previously envisioned, the man’s shoulders slumped, repeating the gesture a moment later when the shotgun barrel sagged in his hands as well. Staring into the eyes of the man he was sent to kill, he was realistic enough to know that the target would put a bullet in him before he even had a chance to pull the trigger far enough back to fire his gun.

"Drop it on the bed," Chris ordered in a low voice.

The intruder let out a deep breath and advanced far enough to put the gun down on the unmade bed before Chris came forward and retrieved it, his own gun never wavering from the man’s chest as he did so. Once the weapon was firmly in his grip, Chris gestured toward the door.

"Shut it." He instructed just as calmly. "Then you and I are going to have a little talk."

* * *

It was a secret truth known only to gamblers that poker was the universal bond capable of transcending all racial, economic and religious barriers to unite greedy men in search of quick money. This adage was never more apparent when applied to his present situation where he found himself seated around a felt covered table, indulging the previously hostile inhabitants of Tascosa in a friendly game. It appeared that while his choice in riding companions might leave something to be desired, that still did not make him pariah enough to be excluded from sitting in on a couple of games.

Unfortunately, it became very apparent, particularly after the first hand that the new arrival did not simply look like a professional gambler with his fine clothes but actually was one. However, by the time this realisation had dawned upon them, most of the players at the table had already lost too much to be able to leave the carnage of the gambler’s skill without losing face as well as profit. Ezra continued at his juggernaut pace for the rest of the night, seeing no reason why he could not indulge himself after the tension that had gripped them all since becoming temporary residents of Tascosa.

Faces changed at regular intervals at the table with everyone wanting to take on the professional card sharp convince that they were the one who could make him cry defeat with his money in their pockets. Ezra kept an eye on all of them, aware that it was never wise to let one’s guard down when he was taking their money. Though most men could accept the luck of the draw, there was always one or two who would resort to name calling and even more drastic measures to regain their lost currency.

The big man with the rotten teeth and the eye patch was not a resident of Tascosa. This much Ezra could tell when he sat down at the table. The other players regarded him with unfamiliarity and from the moment he sat down, his eyes were fixated on Ezra alone and throughout the evening as the game progressed, the man’s gaze seldom shifted from Ezra or the gambler’s hand. Ezra came very quickly to the conclusion that the man suspected him of cheating and made no attempt to even let the notion cross his mind to prove his accuser right.

In the meantime however, Ezra took the opportunity to learn more about Jesse Kincaid as per Chris Larabee’s instructions. On the advice of Vin’s lawyer, the seven were attempting to garner as much useful information as they could muster about all the players in the little drama presently being acted out in Tascosa. Little was known as about Jesse Kincaid and Chris had stumbled upon the idea, which Ezra agreed with completely, that the dead man’s sole possession of water in the immediate area must have made enemies of many of his neighbors. There was no reason to assume that it was merely Patterson who had engineered Kincaid’s murder.

"So tell me," Ezra drawled as he cut the deck and prepared to deal. "Mr Kincaid must have made a small fortune before he died. I understood that his piece of property was one of the few farms in the neighborhood to turn a profit after the drought."

"Bastard made money alright," one of them remarked, a rather easy going if somewhat grizzled man that had the look of a prospector past his prime. "Son of a bitch bled everyone dry. If your friend hadn’t killed him, someone else would have."

"Really?" Ezra said pretending to be uninterested but still needed to ask. He shuffled the cut deck and started distributing the cards between the players. "I gather Mr Patterson was most inconvenienced by this state of affairs?"

"Yeah," the old timer continued, more concerned about the hand he was being dealt rather than divulging sensitive information about his powerful neighbor. "He had to put down half his livestock because he didn’t have enough water for all of them. Made him plenty mad if I remember correctly. Then Kincaid died and his widow sold up quickly. For a long time, some folk thought that Patterson put your friend up to killing Kincaid, maybe to get a payoff as well as a reward."

"My friend is unnaturally honest," Ezra remarked automatically. "Whether or not you good folk may choose to believe it, Mr Tanner found the body and assumed it was Ely Joe. Until we confronted the brigand in Four Corners, Mr Tanner had never met the man faced to face. Ely Joe had been most clever about using that to his advantage."

"Don’t know about that," the old timer shrugged, not about to get into a debate over the matter particularly when he did believe that Tanner had been Kincaid’s killer. However, a poker table should always be considered neutral territory and he had no wish to anger the gambler, preferring to play instead.

"Everyone knows your friend is a killer!" The man Ezra had been aware of watching him all night finally made his move. Ezra was not surprised but he was not about to act rashly either, allowing this man to play his hand before he made his own counter-offensive. "He couldn’t catch the real Ely Joe and so he killed some innocent farmer to git his money!"

"That is one opinion," Ezra said coolly, his hand made no move to the gun in his holster but instead prepared to use the derringer carefully hidden beneath the frilled cuff of his sleeve. "How about we resume our game Sir, this is hardly the place for a gun battle."

"Mighty smart talking ain’t ya," the man sneered derisively even though he had secretly taken note of where Ezra’s hand was, the gambler noticed. "Let’s see if you’re smart enough to talk your way through a bullet." He pulled out his gun and was about to fire at Ezra but the gambler was faster. The mechanism holding the derringer snapped into place and the handle of the small weapon slid into Ezra’s waiting hand easily. With faster reflexes than this huge lumbering oaf would ever possess, Ezra pulled the trigger without batting an eye.

The bullet slammed into the centre of the man’s forehead, blowing the back of his head outwards and causing a slight spray of blood behind him before he tumbled to the ground. A few screams were heard, these mostly came from the saloon girls while the other players jumped away from the table when the altercation had turned deadly. Ezra watched the dismay and shock in the crowd as the dead man lay on the dirt covered floor, blood spreading out in a crimson crown around his head.

"He don’t even know Patterson." One of them remarked as they stared at the grisly scene. "He ain’t from round here."

"He was not." Ezra remarked, aware of what the man was all about. "The gentlemen was waiting for an opportunity to do this, Patterson’s name being mentioned appeared as good an opening as any." What the gambler did not add was that this was no random attack. The man had been after him specifically, masking the intent to kill by a display of mock offense at the sullying of Caleb Patterson’s name. It suddenly occurred to Ezra whether or not he was the only one who facing such attack.

"Gentlemen," the gambler said coolly to his opponents. "I think I will call it a night." He tipped his hat at them before hurrying out of the saloon, determined to find his friends before they were made similar visitations.

* * *

"Go on JD," Buck Wilmington said to the younger man as he stepped into the jailhouse. Ritter was on hand as always to keep an eye on the proceedings, trusting none of them with his prisoner since he had to endure their presence in his jailhouse. "Get some sleep."

"Thanks Buck," JD remarked, feeling a little bit of a knot in his back at having to remain so long in the chair near Vin’s cell. The tracker did not sleep much, spending most of his time staring outside his window although whenever JD felt the need to talk, he had listened patiently. JD had the feeling that Vin was afraid even though it was not in the man’s nature to show it. "I’ll see you tomorrow Vin." JD said glancing at the tracker in his cage.

Vin was still awake and reacted just enough to look away from the window and offer the young sheriff of Four Corners a parting look of farewell.

JD slipped both his guns back into his holster as he walked past Ritter’s desk since the only way the man would allow them to keep their vigil with Vin was to remain unarmed while they were inside his jailhouse. Knowing that they were allowed to remain only at the sheriff’s sufferance, the peacemakers from Four Corners were not about to argue the point.

JD yawned upon emerging into the night air.

In truth, he did not mind Tascosa really, mostly because it did not look all that different from Four Corners. He rather thought that all small towns looked the same now that he knew enough of them to make the distinction. Although the others would not readily admit it, mostly because their opinion of Tascosa was based on the effect the place had on Vin Tanner’s life, JD found Tascosa to be pleasant enough. It was probably as tight knit a community as Four Corners was when faced with difficulties. While it was obvious that not many people really liked Kincaid, they still felt inclined to defend the man even in death. It would be no different if anyone had killed someone in Four Corners, he was certain the town would band together to demand justice as the townsfolk of Tascosa had done although he was not as assured that a lynching would be on the agenda.

He left the jailhouse, eager to return to his lodgings as he walked the quiet street because fatigue had caught up with him and he wanted to sleep. He gazed at the stars above and marveled at the crystal clear blue beauty of the sky above and hoped that their departure from this town would not be under worse circumstances from when they had arrived. JD could no more stand it than any of his older companions if he were forced to see Vin Tanner hang and if the outcome of his trial was anything but satisfactory tomorrow, that was the nightmare they would be facing.

He took note that the saloon was alive and jumping as he closed the distance between it and himself, frowning a little because his lodgings were above the establishment and would only keep him awake. Taking a deep breath, he decided there was nothing for it but to grin and bear his situation since it was his own fault for thinking it fun to take a room in the saloon when the others had opted for a lodging house. The lights of the saloon beckoned him through the darkness when suddenly he heard something in the dead of night that made him react immediately.

There was only one thing that could make a sound like that and with everything that Buck Wilmington had taught him, JD immediately dropped to his knees as the shot rang out. The bowler hat he was wearing was whisked off his head as the bullet missed his skull by a fraction, the speed and inertia of the projectile sweeping the headwear with it. JD saw his favorite hat tumbled to the dirt, smoking where the bullet had entered the fabric and left a hole. He felt his chest constrict with fear and then relief at the realization at how close he had come to dying.

JD kept low to the ground, trying to discern where the gun shot had originated and knew that the angle of the bullet’s entry into his hat indicated it was high. His eyes scoured the darkness through the windows of the surrounding buildings and saw not even the sign of movement. He scrambled through the dirt quickly, just in case the sniper was still trying to get him within his sights again. If Chris were here, the gunslinger would be next to livid that someone had come after them in such an underhanded way. There was one thing that Chris Larabee could consider worse than shooting a man in the back, shooting a man in the back and hiding like a coward while doing it.

The shooter reloaded and more shots rang out as JD felt dirt and gravel fly in all directions inches behind him as he crawled away for cover. He could feel the roar of bullets attempting to claim him and he knew it was only luck that had allowed them to keep ahead of him, that and probably the fact that he was small enough for his size to be an advantage.

"JD!" He heard Nathan cry out. "Stay where you are!"

JD who was now hiding behind the water trough he had managed to crawl behind, peered over the edge to see Nathan running into a building directly opposite him. The healer was armed and burst through the door of what appeared to be the local hotel. JD also saw Ezra trying to reach him, the gambler’s eyes were trained on a window of the hotel facing him and the youth gathered that was where his would be assassin was making his attempt to kill him.

A moment of silence followed when suddenly, shots rang out in quick succession, someone screamed and to JD it sounded like a woman. The scream was cut short by the overpowering sound of glass shattering as a body fell through the window, landing hard on the awning above the door and smashing through the wood with a terrible crash. JD held his breath and knew that Ezra was doing so as well until Nathan appeared at the window, alive and well.

"Its okay," Nathan signaled to the men on the ground. "He was alone."

Both men exhaled loudly and Ezra turned back to JD, walking towards the young man now that it was safe to do so. He bent over and picked up JD’s hat as he approached taking note of the hole and when it had entered.

"Mr Dunne, I trust you survived that encounter better than your hat?" Ezra asked with his usual flippancy, hiding the depth of his concern for the boy as always, with a glib remark.

"Yeah," JD swallowed as he got to his feet, dusting himself of, still rather dazed by everything that had taken place in the last few minutes that he needed to recoup his senses. "What was that all about?"

"I am not entirely certain but I do believe that a concerted effort is being made to tell us that we are not welcome in this community. I had a brigand scowling his way into a card game with me and then selecting the flimsiest of reasons to make an attempt to shoot me."

"You okay?" JD asked concerned.

"Obviously." Ezra remarked, replacing the hat back on JD’s head who promptly adjusted its positioning. "I sought out Mr Jackson and found that he had already dealt with the man who came after him. Likewise with our religious friend."

By that, JD assumed he meant Josiah. However, JD looked around and noticed that the preacher was conspicuous by his absence. "Where is Josiah?"

* * *

Josiah Sanchez feared the worst.

He saw the door to Chris Larabee’s room with all signs that it had been broken into. Someone had barged into the gunslinger’s room violently and let himself out again after it was all said and done, shutting the door behind him and promoting the illusion of peace inside the room. There was no light emanating from narrow gap between the floor and the door or any signs at all that could be considered life. The preacher’s heart felt cold inside his chest as he neared the door, thinking in a surge of panic that he was too late. Instinctively, it made sense that Chris would be the first one attacked since the gunslinger had proved himself time and time again to be the head of the pack whenever they faced danger. Removing Chris would be to deliver a mortal blow indeed to the fellowship and ensure that the group be splintered forever.

Josiah forced himself to ignore such fears since he knew nothing was for certain until he saw the irrefutable evidence before his eyes that left no doubt. Upon reaching the door, Josiah pushed it open slowly, poised to jump out of the way if Chris’ attacker was still present and felt inclined to take another one of them down. His guns preceded him as he took another step forward, ready to fire instantly, it the need arose. The door swung open noiselessly at first, breaking into a loud creak once the expansion of space between it and the doorway made the room half open Josiah.

The gunfire that was meant to erupt did not come and Josiah called out tentatively.

"Chris." His deep voice resonated in the darkness and felt hollow in the prelude to what he feared he would find if there was no answer.

"Come on in Josiah." Chris Larabee’s voice responded with typical laconic understatement, a sharp contrast to the tension that was running through the preacher at this moment.

Josiah let out a sigh of relief and stepped into the room to see that Chris Larabee was sitting on the sill of his bedroom window, allowing only the light of the full moon through the glass to illuminate the darkened space within. On the bed, his would be assailant sat before the gunslinger, trembling with fright. Josiah could see beads of sweat running down the man’s forehead even through the darkness and the preacher looked up at Chris in question, wondering what the leader of the seven could be doing to this man to engender such fear.

"Shut the door Josiah," Chris ordered and the older man complied immediately.

Only when they were alone, did Josiah deem himself to speak. "I take it this is your midnight visitor." Josiah remarked, stating the obvious.

"Yeah," Chris nodded, his eyes still on the man. "Everyone all right?" He assumed from Josiah’s arrival here that the attack that would have taken his life had he not been awake at the time, was not an isolated event.

"As far as I know." Josiah answered pulling up a chair and sitting down since Chris was making no move to leave his present position by the window. "Ezra took care of his in the saloon and thought something was up. He came and found me and Nathan before the two of them went to find JD. Buck’s still in the jailhouse so I think he’s safe enough for the moment. No one is dumb enough to try and take him in there. Ritter’s a bastard but I don’t think he’d stand for murder."

"I agree." Chris nodded. "I’ve been having a little talk with our friend here. He ain’t being too helpful."

"You’re fucking crazy!" The man shouted fearfully, the desperation and terror in his voice apparent. "That’s what you are! Crazy!"

"Maybe," Chris nodded as he cocked the gun in his hand and prepared to fire. "But you’re running out of time."

Josiah thought for a moment that Chris had intended to scare the man and did not really believe Chris was going to shoot until he heard the hammer of the gun pulled back and Chris showing no intention of desisting. The preacher’s mouth dropped open in shock as the gunslinger’s finger tightened around the trigger and completed the journey.

"Chris!" Josiah exclaimed, unable to believe that Chris Larabee would resort to a cold blooded execution like this.

The chamber clicked into place but no bullet emerged.

The sound of an empty gun cocked echoed through the room and the would be victim let out a soft cry of relief as well as plain fear as the death he had anticipated did not come. Chris met Josiah’s gaze and flashed a predatory smile which told Josiah immediately, he need not have feared. "You’ve got only another chance at this." Chris said to his prisoner. "I’m not usually this lucky at Russian Roulette but if you don’t tell me what I want to know soon, I’m likely to wait out this lucky streak and see how far it goes before a bullet actually fires. You got a problem with that Josiah?" He did not look at the preacher when he asked that question.

"It seems to me that if a man is low enough to kill another in his own bed, he brings on the wrath of god on himself. Ain’t my purview to make comment on how the Almighty wishes to dispense justice." Josiah offered Chris a smile of amusement and one of support and made a silent note to the gunslinger to continue.

"Who hired you?"

"I ain’t telling!" The man barked back but the edge of his fear was unmistakable, he was close to cracking and they both knew it.

The surge of defiance would be brief, Chris could tell by his wide eyes that the stark terror displayed by his victim was just about to overwhelm him and it would take only a nudge to send him tumbling over the dark abyss. Well perhaps not a nudge, Chris thought with a sinister smile,  _more like the pull of a trigger_. Without giving him any further warning, Chris cocked the gun once again. The man let out a cry of horror as he saw the chamber shifting into place. He stared down the barrel of the gun, almost ghostly white with fear as Chris brought down the hammer of the firing mechanism….

And discharged nothing but a loud click of metal that coincided with the man erupting with hysterical cries of fear as the defiance left him.

"Patterson!" He screamed, so frightened that Chris could not distinguish where one word began and another ended. "It was Patterson! Patterson hired us all to kill you and your friends!" The acrid odor of human waste began to exude from him and Chris wrinkled his nose in disgust as he lowered the gun, even though the shotgun was still poised to fire in case the man experienced a resurgence of defiance.

Chris glanced at Josiah and remarked with a faint smile. "I think I’m going to need to change rooms."

"You probably do." Josiah had to agree, unable to deny the gunslinger was if anything, effective. Chris’ would be assassin was breathing hard, wiping the sweat from his brow, trying to gain some measure of dignity after his humiliating display of defeat while glaring at his tormentor with unmasked hatred.

"By the way," Chris stared back at him dispassionately and pulled the trigger again, making both Josiah and his intended victim jump when the sixth chamber of the gun registered the sound of emptiness. Josiah started to laugh, realizing that he should have known better. Chris was too crafty to take chances with a man’s life, even one who had tried to kill him.

"You bastard!" The man started to shout as the discovery that when he had seen Chris empty the chamber to begin this little game of Russian roulette, he had mistakenly believed that one bullet still remained when in actual fact Chris had removed all of them. "You tricked me!"

"Shut up." Chris stared at him with a cold look in his eye and pulled the trigger of the shotgun he was still holding. "You ain’t gonna be so lucky with this thing." He gave the man a look that stated clearly that this time it would be no ruse. The man gulped visibly and fell silent again. Chris turned to Josiah once more. "Come daylight, I think its time we paid Mr Patterson a call."

* * *

Unfortunately, while Chris and the others were all in favour of riding to Caleb Patterson’s ranch the next morning, they were soon reminded that Vin would be facing a judge on that particular day. Chris had no intention of allowing Vin face that trial on his own. While Chris sorely wanted to make the rancher accountable for his coordinated attempts to murder them all the night before, the gunslinger was not about to be absent during Vin Tanner’s day in court. As it was, the tracker was feeling gloomy enough about his fate and pining away in secret for his lady love who unknown to him, closer than he might have believed, without Chris and his friends abandoning him for the retribution that could be afforded a day’s delay.

The courthouse was located directly across the street from the sheriff’s office and as a place of legal judgement, was not particularly lavish with its hewn wooden benches and tables provided for the parties arguing their cases. At this time, there was no opposing defense and no trial as such was scheduled to begin. As Gideon Dunwill explained to Chris and the rest of the lawmen prior to the commencement of the proceedings, this was merely to establish a plea of guilty or innocent prior to an actual trial where the case would be argued with a prosecutor representing the State of Texas.

Judge David Stoner sat behind his bench or the wooden table that passed as one, overseeing the proceedings with a steely eye. He appeared to a sharp witted man and though his manner seemed gruff, he had the worn look of someone who had seen much in his time and learnt even more from it. He raised somewhat of a curious eye at the number of people inside his courtroom, considering that the hearing, once it was underway, would be brief. The defendant had a lawyer and that meant that the judge’s input would be minimal until the trial was ready to commence.

Gideon Dunwill sat at the desk provided for him at the left end of the room, away from those who had came as spectators. The lawyer had his notes before him as always and a leather case which he occasionally rummaged through while waiting for Sheriff Ritter to arrive with his client. Chris studied the faces in the room and saw some of the folk that had prepared to lynch Vin their first night here present and waiting just as impatiently as his own men. JD was fidgeting with Buck nudging him to be still and in doing so inspired a battle of nudging and prodding between the two until Chris heard Josiah hiss at them to be quiet. Ezra met Chris’ gaze and the gambler rolled his eyes in sarcasm at their behavior while Nathan and Nettie were engaged in quiet conversation.

Several benches back, Chris saw Jamieson and Langstrom tipping their hat at him in acknowledgement of greeting before their eyes faced front again. Chris wished things would get started. He hated all the pageantry that went into deciding a man’s fate, especially when that man was his friend. Chris feared the worst for Vin. He liked it even less than the one person who should be here was probably in her room, going through her own private hell while she waited to hear whether she would have the chance to spend her life with the man she loved. Chris made a mental note to see Alex after the courtroom formalities were taken care of. In Vin’s absence, Chris felt obligated to see if she was all right because in his place, Vin would do the same.

It felt like an eternity before Vin was finally ushered into the room with reactions being mixed at his arrival. The natives of Tascosa hissed at the tracker as he strode into the court. Vin showed no reaction to their jibes and accusations of being a murderer before the judge brought down his gavel and threatened to turn them out if order was not maintained. Eventually, Ritter released Vin into Dunwill’s custody and Vin took a seat next to his lawyer.

As Stoner brought the gavel down on the wooden bench once more and made the opening statements to get things off to a start, Vin looked over his shoulder and met Chris’ gaze. The tracker did not have to speak for Chris to understand what he was attempting to say. No matter what the outcome of the trial, Vin was prepared to abide by the decision made and wanted to let Chris to know that it was alright if things did not turn out the way they hoped. He had made the choice and wanted none of his friends to regret the decision to let him come here and face judgement.

Chris nodded silently at the tracker, understanding that it was the way Vin wanted things and hoping that when the time came, he could accept it too.

* * *

She wanted to be there so badly that she almost ached physically.

Alex paced the floor of her hotel room, feeling the walls shrinking around her as if she were vermin trapped inside a cage. She could not count how many times she had gone to the window of her room hoping to catch a glimpse of Vin as he was brought to the courthouse even though she knew the hotel was not near enough to offer her such an opportunity. The futility did not stop her because the action gave her something to do. Each torturous second that passed as she waited for Gideon to bring her news seem to make her question the reasoning that kept her inside his room and not at Vin’s side offering him her support.

Finally Alex could stand it no more because it was driving her insane with longing to run out of this room and burst into the courtroom and tell him that she was here in Tascosa and had always been. Emerging from the hotel, she felt the need to walk and clear her head of the thoughts that were swirling inside her mind with images of Vin and the dreams they had shared of the future. Alex was not ready to give up on them yet and forced herself to believe that Gideon’s assurances that an acquittal was possible in light of the evidence they were uncovering in Tascosa. However, she did not fool herself into thinking that his assurances made it a reality either. As much as she needed hope, Alex could not delude herself into believing the illusion of hope until it something tangible, not wistful thinking.

Leaving the hotel behind her, she noticed that it was not long after noon and knew that the hearing had well and truly commenced by this point and reminded herself again and again that her appearance would serve no purpose but to make Vin feel worse than he already did. No matter what he might think when he first saw her, eventually the shame of his circumstances would sink in and he would that she had seen him like that. Alex loved enough to spare him that shame by keeping away. She continued her trek through town, trying to focus herself on anything other than Vin Tanner.

When Alex arrived at Amanda Kincaid’s store, she had no idea if her journey here had been intentional or not. She had been so intent in not thinking about Vin that she kept walking from one end of the town to the other, trying not seem inconspicuous even though everyone in Tascosa knew that she had something to do with Gideon Dunwill, the man defending Vin for murder. So far, it appeared that Amanda had not revealed to the rest of the community that Alex Styles was in fact, Vin’s lover and fiancée to which the doctor was grateful.

She entered the familiar surroundings of the store she had visited earlier for no reason other than the fact that she was driven there by instinct and now more than ever she missed the solidarity and friendship of Mary, Inez, Rain, Julia and Casey. As women who loved unusual men and were themselves unique in their mettle, Alex had found life long friends that would have been her privilege to know even if they were not bonded by the men whose hearts they had won. She had seen something of sympathy inside Amanda Kincaid when the woman learnt of her attachment to Vin enough to believe that it might just be nice to talk to the woman. Perhaps she might learn something to help Vin but mostly because she did not wish to be alone.

The store was empty except for Amanda who was behind a pedal operated sewing machine, running a length of white floral fabric under the rapidly moving needle. The machine made a low whirring sound that was not loud enough to mask Alex’s entry into the place and Amanda paused when Alex entered. Remaining seated as the new arrival approached her, Amanda wondered what Alexandra Styles wanted of her.

"Hello." Alex greeted, trying to sound pleasant and not as pained as she felt. "I’m surprise to find you here. I thought you might be at the hearing."

Amanda shook her head, showing no hostility at the inquiry. "Jesse is gone." She said with that same quiet manner. "I don’t need to know who killed him. It don’t change anything."

"I guess not." Alex had to concede agreement on that point.

"Why ain’t you there?" Amanda asked thinking that of the two of them, this exotic looking woman would be the one who had most reason to be present at Vin Tanner’s courtroom appearance.

"It would hurt him too much for him to see me." Alex said unafraid to lie on this point. "Vin would not want to see him like that. I haven’t seen him at all since he came to Tascosa. He has no idea that I am even here."

"You really love him, don’t you?" Amanda looked at her, touched by the pain that Alex had driven to submission in order to cope, even though its reflection could be seen in her eyes.

"Yes," Alex swallowed, feeling a tidal wave of emotion surface with that simple admission. "He’s my life. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him."

Amanda did not want to hear this. She wished Alexandra Styles would go away but there was too much compassion inside her heart to chase away the woman when Alex so clearly needed comfort. "Would you like some tea?" Amanda asked with that too soft voice once again, aware of the danger she was allowing by this simple act of kindness.

"Yes I would," Alex said with a smile, promising herself that she would not take advantage of Amanda’s kindness by probing her for information during the invitation.

Amanda nodded shortly and went to the front door where she secured the lock and placed the sign saying ‘closed’ in the window before she withdrew into the backrooms and gestured for Alex to follow her. One of the small storage rooms in the shop had been converted into a small kitchen with a table, a stove and pantry. As Alex sat at the small kitchen table, admiring the patterned table cloth covering the rough surface, she had to admit that the room though small was actually quite cosy and must have been Amanda’s refuge when she needed a moment’s rest from the day’s work. Alex could well understand a need for a place like this since her own home was situated in the rooms above her clinic.

Amanda said nothing as she prepared the tea and Alex had a feeling that it was not because the woman was unfriendly, simply because the situation between them was awkward and a deeper suspicion that perhaps Amanda was not, in general, very sociable. She was in the midst of pouring hot water in a pretty ceramic teapot when the cuff of her dress rode up her forearm a little and Alex caught sight of her skin.

"What on earth happened to you?" Alex blurted out, her doctor’s instincts kicking in immediately when she saw the scars on the lady’s arm.

"Its nothing!" Amanda said defensively pulling the fabric over her arm once more, mortified that Alex had seen the remnants of Jesse’s cruelties on her person. "Just a little burn, that’s all." She swallowed hard but Alex was already on her feet and took her arm without even hearing the protest.

"A little burn?" Alex looked at the arm, noticing the burns that were the size of coins against the skin. She was certain that the level of scarring left behind had been third degree burns when they had been fresh wounds. "This must have been terribly painful, you would have taken weeks to heal. They’re almost third degree."

"It was an accident." Amanda said fearfully, unable to meet her gaze as she made that admission.

Alex realised they were on the verge on uncomfortable territory and she had just stumbled upon something important and could not afford to alienate Amanda any further if she was to learn any more. "I’m sorry, I can’t help myself. Being a doctor and all...."

"You are a doctor?" Amanda exclaimed with genuine surprise. "I didn’t know that there were lady doctors."

"My father was a doctor and he was pretty determined that I be one too," Alex replied, returning to her seat and continuing to widen the space between the uncomfortable topic of a few moments ago. "I studied in England and got my degree but there was no room there for someone like me to be a doctor so I came out west."

"It must be something to travel like that." Her hostess sighed with a hint of longing that was far removed from her usually dispassionate manner. "I’d love to see the ocean just once."

"It is beautiful," Alex could not deny that much. "When you see the sea as far as the eye will let you, you almost think that nothing bad exists anywhere."

"I’ve never felt like that," Amanda’s gaze dropped as she made that confession.

The sadness Alex saw in her eyes surfaced then and something tugged at the doctor’s heart as she saw that deep, intense pain that Amanda Kincaid must have surely carried with her, every day of her life since whatever demons that plagued her now first shattered that fragile spirit. "Amanda," Alex spoke up firmly, forgetting Vin for a moment because the doctor inside her recognized someone in pain and was compelled to act. "Those burns on your hand, they’re cigar burns aren’t they?"

Amanda could not meet her eyes but managed a slow nod. "Yes." She answered and was surprise that it felt like the great weight pressing upon her chest for so long had been lifted.

Alex simply nodded because this was not a unique story no matter how odious or terrible it must have been for Amanda to live it. "How long were you married to him?" The doctor asked quietly not even requiring confirmation that it was her husband that had inflicted such injuries upon Amanda.

Alex simply  _knew_.

Tears began to fill Amanda Kincaid’s eyes. "Ten years." She whispered. "Ten long years."

Alex closed her eyes trying to imagine what it must have been like to live with someone who would use a lighted cigar to amuse himself on his wife’s skin. She had suspected something of the like when she had first encountered Amanda’s indifferent manner to her husband’s death but until she had seen those burns, did not understand the extent of abuse the poor woman must have endured. "I am so sorry. I gather you had nowhere else to go for help?" Alex asked gently.

"No." Amanda shook her head slowly. "No place at all." She said hoarsely, remembering her mother’s indifference to her plight, caring only about her own selfish needs and not about her daughter who was enduring her own private hell. "Momma said that’s the way marriage was. You obeyed your husband in all things and you put up with him because you swore an oath to God to do so."

 _Mary would beg to differ_ , Alex thought quietly but did not voice that opinion. "You don’t need me to tell you that is not how it is at all. I’ve never been married but I’ve met others like you, not a lot but enough to know that it is  _definitely_  not how its supposed to be. I can’t imagine what you must have been through."

"No you can’t," Amanda met her eyes with a tear filled gazed. "Your man loves you. He ain’t never going to do nothing to hurt you. When he touches you, it’s a beautiful thing. When Jesse put his hands on me, all he ever knew how to do was hurt me and keep hurting me, inside and out. God, how I hated that son of a bitch! Every filthy degrading thing that he could do hurt me, he did and if you wonder why I can’t feel anything for him its because I was freed from hell when he died! I’m sorry about your man but Jesse dying was the best thing that ever happened to me!"

Alex looked at the dark mask of hatred in Amanda Kincaid’s eyes and knew without doubt that the lady had the key to Vin’s freedom. However, she had lived with her ordeal for a long time, suffering almost a decade of abuse the likes of which would drive a lesser person to the grave. It would be difficult to convince her that it was time to speak the truth about what she knew about Jesse Kincaid’s death.

Somehow, Alex was going to have to manage that minor miracle because Amanda was Vin’s only hope.

* * *

Vin sat next to Gideon Dunwill at that exact moment listening to Sheriff Ritter informed the court about the events that had led the tracker to this instance in time. During his narration, the locals offered their opinions by heckling at regular intervals until Judge Stoner made it plain that the next person to cause such disruption was going to find himself or herself in contempt of court. Eventually such instances disappeared completely and the hearing continued smoothly while the preliminary specifics of the case was laid out before the judge.

When Ritter had concluded his story, the judge looked at Dunwill. "Mr Dunwill, how does your client plead to the charge of murder?"

Dunwill rose to his feet and motioned to Vin to do the same as they faced the judge behind his bench. "My client pleads not guilty." Dunwill said firmly.

"A plea of not guilty is so noted." Stoner nodded, anticipating this from the moment he had realised that Tanner had a lawyer to defend him. He gestured at Vin and Dunwill to take their seats again and prepared to speak further when Dunwill interrupted.

"Your honor," Dunwill cleared his throat and added, aware that his next statement was going to cause disturbance from almost everyone who believed in his client’s guilt. "I move to recommend a change of venue for the trial."

A rumble of dissent followed the courtroom as those who understood the lawyer’s fancy words, reacted immediately to it as he had suspected. As the dissent gained momentum, Stoner was forced to silence the room once again with the heavy banging on his gavel against the wooden surface of his bench. "Order." He demanded and a hush of silence fell over the room again as he turned to Dunwill for an explanation.

"On what grounds?" He asked.

"I believe my client’s safety is in question in this community. Two nights ago, when my client had voluntarily surrendered himself into the sheriff’s custody, some of the members of this locality had attempted to conduct a lynching. Had it not been for the timely intervention of Federal Marshall Jamieson, the outcome would have been most unfortunate."

Dunwill glanced at Chris Larabee briefly, hoping that the gunslinger would understand why he had credited the protection of Vin’s life to the Marshall since a legally appointed lawman would carry more weight with the judge than six hired gunmen from another state. The gunslinger nodded slightly at the lawyer from his seat with the rest of the courtroom attendants, showing his approval with that single gesture. "I believe Sheriff Ritter can confirmed this to be true since he was present at the time."

Stoner turned to Ritter. "Is this true?" He questioned.

The sheriff frowned, appearing not at all happy about the prospect of letting Vin out of his jailhouse but had no choice and was forced to begrudgingly speak the truth. "Yes your Honor," he nodded reluctantly. "They were aiming to lynch the man."

"You see your honor," Dunwill continued, mounting a formidable case for his client’s removal from Tascosa. "Even the sheriff cannot guarantee my client’s safety. The facts of this case are ambiguous to say the least and my client should never have been arrested let alone be brought to trial. It is my contention that until the facts are revealed at the proper time for his freedom to be granted by a court of law, we should at least  _try_  to keep him alive."

Stoner shifted in his seat as he considered Dunwill’s words, brushing aside the man’s attempt to sway his judgement with the possibility that an innocent man could lose his life if he were forced to remain in Tascosa.

Vin stared at the man behind the bench, wondering how one came to the decisions he did when so much depended upon it. While the tracker had not said much during the hearing, he was singularly impressed by the argument Dunwill had made to save his life and to declare his innocence. For once, he was glad that Alex’s money had brought this stranger here to speak in his defense and Vin hoped that the faith he was starting to place in Dunwill was not a wasted effort.

He looked over his shoulder and met Chris’ eyes who was not as overt about showing his admiration for the lawyer but was nonetheless pleased by the way things were progressing, Vin was certain. Ezra flashed the tracker a dimpled smile of encouragement, while Buck winked at him while JD offered a small wave with his fingers, Josiah tipped his hat and Nathan nodded in Vin’s direction. Beside the healer, Nettie smiled warmly and told him without a saying a word, that they were here for him. Knowing that made Vin feel better, even if the judge did not rule in his favor.

"Mr Dunwill," Stoner spoke finally and brought Vin’s attention back to him. "You will cease from making such obvious attempts to curry my favor in your claim of Mr Tanner’s innocence. That is for a jury to decide."

"I apologize your honor." Dunwill shrugged, aware that he had gone too far when he had said it but was required to make the effort nonetheless.

"However," the judge continued after a moment. "You have made a sufficient case in regards Mr Tanner’s continued safety should he remain here in Tascosa, therefore motion to conduct the trial at Amarillo is carried. You will have your opening arguments ready two weeks from today. Mr Tanner will remain in custody until preparations can be made to transfer him to Amarillo. Court dismissed."

With that he brought down the gavel once again as the room erupted with discourse over his decision.

"Well," Dunwill let out a sigh as the rumble of dissent rose around his ears but determined not to allow the anger displayed by the natives of Tascosa from dampening the victory of clearing his first hurdle in what was never going to be an easy process. "I say that went well."

"I ain’t hung yet so its gotta be good." Vin joked despite the fact that his troubles were far from over.

Dunwill looked at him. "Mr Tanner, do you think we could for a little optimism?"

* * *

Patterson should have known that lawyer was trouble he moment he heard the man was in town preparing to defend Vin Tanner for the crime of Jesse Kincaid’s murder. While he had not been so restrained dealing with Tanner’s comrades, Patterson knew that to make a move against a high priced lawyer such as Gideon Dunwill was to invite trouble on a scale he could not hope to cope with. It was one thing hiring outside talent to wipe out a bunch of troublesome gunmen but another thing entirely to kill a lawyer. Not even Ritter would stand for that and Caleb Patterson knew it.

However, his situation had not improved by the failed attempts at ending the threat that Tanner’s comrades had posed or the determination by the court that the trial should be held in Amarillo. In Amarillo, without the weight of local opinion against him, the chance that Tanner might be acquitted was a real possibility and Patterson would not stand for it. When he had arrived in town the morning of Tanner’s trial and learnt that the six men guarding him were still alive and the lawyer had succeeded in having the trial moved to Amarillo, Patterson knew it was time for a new plan.

Patterson had learnt enough about Gideon Dunwill to know that the services of a lawyer from Silver City did not come cheap and did not believe for one moment that Tanner could afford the legal eagle without assistance. Dunwill had not arrived in Tascosa alone and Patterson had to assume the proud elderly woman who was a frequent visitor of Tanner at the jailhouse was paying his fees. After all, if she could afford to have a nigger maid travelling with her, it was possible she could afford to hire a lawyer. The hotel register had her listed as Nettie Wells but that did not mean she was not related to Tanner in anyway.

The rancher made his way up to the jailhouse determined to see Tanner following his trial and make him aware that the man still had weaknesses that could be exploited, no matter how invincible his friends might appear to be. No doubt, Tanner would have been delivered to the jailhouse following the court proceedings, as arrangements to move him to Amarillo would take days to set in motion. Thus Patterson still had the opportunity to resolve this matter before he was forced to escalate the situation. He was not going to endure the uncomfortable questions that would be raised by a trial.

If need be, he would have the tracker killed on his way to Amarillo.

However, as he made his way up the steps to the jailhouse, Patterson knew he had another bit of ammunition still remaining in his arsenal that might make Tanner a little more pliable to his desires. He did not relish the idea of hiring more men after the dismal effort by those he had sent after Tanner’s comrades. As it was, he was glad most of them had been killed so he did not have to pay them for such incompetent work.

He entered the building and found Ritter in his customary position behind his desk. The lawman rose to his feet as Patterson entered.

"Caleb." He greeted. "What can I do for you?" Ritter’s voice seemed taut and Patterson had the feeling that the sheriff believed him responsible for the shootings the night before. Well he could believe all he liked, Patterson snorted, proving it would be an entirely different thing since Tanner was not the only one who had access to expensive lawyers.

"I’m here to see the prisoner, Josh." Patterson said smugly, feeling a hint of triumph knowing that he was impervious to whatever suspicions that Ritter might be harbouring.

"I don’t think that’s such a good idea." Ritter replied automatically, not simply because of his suspicions but because Larabee was with the prisoner at the moment and Ritter had enough sense about the man in black to know that Patterson would be stupid enough to provoke the man into acting.

"I want to see him now." The rancher declared with even more insistence. "You can’t stop me from seeing him."

"No I can’t," Ritter shook his head and felt his own feelings in the case of Jesse Kincaid becoming clouded with the appearance of Patterson and the events of the previous night.

For a long time, the sheriff had clung to the belief that it was Vin Tanner who killed Jesse. It was an opinion he had refused to abandon even though there were circumstances prior to the death that might cast doubt on that possibility. The midnight attacks on the Kincaid ranch for instance and all that trouble over water rights. Kincaid had come to him on numerous occasions, demanding action on the acts of terrorism that Patterson had been subjecting him to in order to blackmail him into selling his place. The rancher was always smart because there was never evidence left behind that would allow Ritter to make any charges hold up under scrutiny. For a time, Ritter was certain that things were going to escalate to a point where one of them would wind up dead. Yet when it had happened, it was nothing like what the sheriff had expected.

He supposed that it was more convenient to believe that someone else had killed Jesse Kincaid then one of his own neighbours. Ritter wondered whether his stubborn belief in Tanner’s guilt was a result of that. While he was determined when Tanner had ridden back to town with his friends, to believe that it was a murderer that he was locking in his cell, too many inconsistencies were starting to appear that made him feel slivers of doubt burrowing into his skin.

"I do know that something is up Caleb and the only reason that you ain’t in jail right now is because the man Larabee brought in here has refused to name you even though he squealed earlier."

"Careful sheriff," Patterson warned with sinister intent. "You ain’t exactly untouchable either. You got a family in this town, best to consider them."

Ritter straightened up and glared at the man. "Is that threat Caleb?" He asked without a hint of fear in his voice, he would not give the man the satisfaction.

"It’s a reminder." The man retorted and started towards the cells, not waiting for the sheriff to give him permission.

While Chris Larabee knew immediately who Caleb Patterson was by sight when the man stepped into the narrow walkway that ran along the jail cells, Vin did not. The tracker stared at the new arrival in question but recognised the look in Chris’ eyes to know that this man was not a friend. Thanks to the incidents the night before, Ritter no longer demanded their guns while they were in his jailhouse, having decided that they were willing to let the law determine Vin’s fate and not take matters into their own hands. Chris rose to his feet immediately upon seeing Patterson approaching the tracker’s cell.

Vin and Chris had been talking about the ranch and how well the hearing had gone when the sharpshooter noticed the sudden tension in gunslinger’s gait and the hardening of his jaw that immediately signalled trouble. Part of the exercise had been to lift the younger man’s spirits although all of Chris’ efforts were for nothing with Patterson’s arrival. Following Chris’ sharp gaze, he saw the man approaching and guessed that it must have been the rancher Patterson because Vin knew no one else in Tascosa who could engender such a reaction from Chris Larabee.

Patterson paused long enough to see the other prisoner in the first cell on the walk. The man did not speak as he met Patterson’s gaze but a silent nod of understanding passed by them and the rancher continued his advance. It was obvious they knew each other even if none were willing to speak to incriminate themselves.

"Do something for you Patterson?" Chris asked smoothly, his eyes fixed on the rancher like sharp points of a knife. "Or did you come to see your boy in there?" He gestured to his would be assassin. "I’d be careful if I were you, man has a weak constitution."

"Fuck you Larabee!" The man in question shouted in anger at the insult.

Chris did not respond but a little smirk crossed the gunslinger’s face as he kept his eyes trained on Patterson who appeared nonplussed about the revelation.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Patterson said showing no signs being baited as he reached Vin’s cell and looked the sharpshooter over distastefully. "So you’re Tanner."

"You’re Patterson." Vin replied eying the man who in all likelihood had as much to do with the death of Jesse Kincaid as Ely Joe. While he might not have pulled the trigger, he certainly had quite a bit to do with the aim.

"What do you want?" Chris asked gruffly, certain that Patterson was not here for a social call. After last nights failed attempt at trying to kill them all, Chris wondered what Patterson’s next move was going to be.

"Just hear to have a friendly chat with Tanner and to tell him the way things are." Patterson said with a calculating smile and turned his attention to Vin. "I don’t suppose we can’t have a private little conversation?" He glanced at Chris, not really expecting his request to be granted.

"You supposed right." Vin retorted shortly. "Now get on with it."

"Not much to say really," Patterson shrugged, not at all perturbed by the man’s demeanour. "Just don’t assume a smart talking lawyer is going to save your ass. Everyone knows you killed Kincaid and by the time I’m done with you, everyone in Amarillo will know it too."

"We’ll see about that." Chris spoke up before Vin could.

"It might just be easier if you just confessed Tanner," the rancher continued, getting to the heart of the matter. "It save everyone a lot of grief, all around. You’re gonna be found guilty anyway, why not spare the bloodshed and just admit it."

"I didn’t kill Kincaid." Vin hissed, the man’s cool manner while making his speech angered Vin more than it ought to especially since it was more than likely that Patterson had hired Ely Joe to kill Kincaid in the first place.

"Of course you did," Patterson replied. "You killed Kincaid and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll get rid of that fancy lawyer and just admit it."

"Or what?" Chris stiffened, inches away from beating the daylights out of the man for the sheer satisfaction of it even though it would avail him nothing and probably land him a day in the cell next to Vin. Then again, some things were worth that kind of trouble and Patterson was quickly qualifying as being more than valuable in this respect.

"Or who knows what would happen?" Patterson continued his verbal barrage. "It’d be a shame if anything happened to that nice old lady and her nigger maid."

_Shit._

Chris swore under his breath as he saw the realisation dawn upon Vin about what Patterson had inadvertently revealed in his threat. The tracker forgot all about Patterson and immediately shifted his gaze to Chris. "Alex is here? When did she get here?" He demanded even though this was the absolute worse time in Chris’ opinion to carry out such a conversation.

Chris threw Patterson a venomous look and then decided that perhaps a day in jail was not such a waste if he got to beat the crap out of this sneering bastard. However at the moment, Vin was waiting for an answer and Chris could not bring himself to keep the truth away from Vin any more than he had been forced to already. "She arrived the same day that Nettie did." Chris admitted reluctantly. "She thought you’d hate if she saw you in here so she made us all promise not to tell you."

"So the nigger ain’t no maid." Patterson grinned, stumbling onto valuable information. He should have suspected it by the description given to him by one of his men who had been positive in his praise about her appearance being quite extraordinary.

"Don’t call her that!" Vin reacted swiftly, slipping his hand through the bars so fast that Patterson did not have time to move away until the tracker’s fist had knotted around his duster and slammed him up against the bars. Patterson’s head made an ugly whack against Vin’s cell and the tracker leaned in close to offer a warning of his own with a voice so cold that it sent a shiver of ice down Chris’ spine hearing it. "If you hurt either Alex or Nettie, I’ll come for you and by God, I’ll get you. Make no mistake on that."

"Tanner let him go." Ritter ordered, attracted by the commotion and stepped into the narrow walkway to see Patterson’s face pressed against the bars of the prisoner’s cell.

Vin glared at Patterson who had realised in that instant just how serious the tracker was on this point by the menace the rancher saw in the dark points of his eyes. "I’m in here," Vin added. "Because I want my name cleared. Don’t mean I can’t get out if I don’t set my mind to it. I find that you’ve done anything to Alex, I will kill you and it won’t happen as quickly as you made Ely Joe do for Kincaid." With that he released the man who stumbled back shaken, right into Chris.

Patterson whirled around and stared at the gunslinger’s face. "If he don’t get you, I will." Chris added with just as much lethal intensity for Patterson to know that he was taking his life into his hands by making any move against either Alex or Nettie.

Ritter intervened at this point; allowing the two lawmen from Four Corners to have their say and was somewhat pleased to give them the opportunity after his own confrontation with Patterson earlier. The sheriff tried to stifle a smile as he looked at the rancher. "I think you’re done here Caleb."

Patterson stepped away from the cell and Chris Larabee as Ritter waited to escort him out of the building. He threw both men a look and reminded them of his own warning, even if it sounded less impressive this time around. "Just remember what I said." He swallowed, sounding somewhat feeble as he stumbled out of the room with Ritter following closely after him.

When they were alone again, Vin turned to Chris. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

"She made me promise Vin." Chris replied, feeling no guilt about what he had done because Alex was his friend too.

Vin nodded in understanding even though his desire to see Alex was even more potent now than it had been earlier, if such a thing was possible. In retrospect, it should not have surprised him to learn that Alex was in Tascosa, realising that she would never have consented to staying behind and let Nettie make this trip alone. While he was pleased that she was here, more than pleased actually, ecstatic that Alex was within reach even if he could not see her, Vin suddenly feared for her life.

"I’m sorry Chris," Vin surprised the gunslinger with an apology when it was  _Chris_  who was keeping things from the tracker.

"I shouldn’t have let him know how things are between me and Alex," he continued. "He’s going to go after her now."

"Yep," Chris nodded, seeing no reason to lie about that. "But you don’t got to worry about it. I won’t let anything happen to Alex or Nettie."

Vin looked at the older man and knew that he could be assured of that much and was secretly glad to know that when he looked out at the stars tonight, Alex would be doing the same.


	8. Secrets and Lies

 

Chris left the jailhouse with Josiah taking his place and decided it more than past time that he and Caleb Patterson had a private chat about the death of Jesse Kincaid.

After his thinly veiled threat against Alex and Nettie’s life trying to coerce Vin into confessing the crime and thus eliminating the need for a trial, Chris was more than convinced that Patterson had somehow engineered the murder. Forcing Vin to confess would prevent any anomalies from being raised at the subsequent proceedings enough to imply that someone else might have been responsible. This in Chris’ opinion was evidence enough to convince him of the man’s guilt. If he could not prove it in a court of law, then he was going to turn the tables on Patterson and show the rancher that he was not the only one who was capable of coercion.

Besides, Patterson had no idea what he was playing with when he made those threats against Alex and Nettie. Chris had the gift of evaluating an enemy and sizing him up as being a worthy opponent and his instincts told him Patterson was not accustomed to making threats or hiring murderers to do his bidding. There was something about his actions to give off just a whiff of panic and Chris knew it would not take much to push him over the edge if the right amount of pressure was applied. Patterson’s action of hiring men to kill them the night before had just enough desperation to make Chris believe that the man was pliable to such tactics.

Besides, Chris was mindful of the threat he had made to poison the minds of those in Amarillo before the trial even reached the town. The whole basis of Dunwill’spurpose in moving the proceedings to Amarillo was so Vin could stand trial without the weight of public bias and personal friendships with Kincaid against him. If Patterson were to taint those waters before the people of Amarillo had a chance to hear the facts, then Vin’s chances of an acquittal would be nonexistent. As it was, Chris was actually starting to believe than Dunwill might pull off a verdict of not guilty. The man had a sharp and logical mind and while he was probably useless with a gun and saddle, what he was doing for Vin gave Chris a healthy respect for him.

Thus he was going to give Dunwill every assistance in pulling off this feat of legal magic because Vin needed to be free of this price on his head and Chris could not bear the thought of his best friend hanging for a crime he did not commit. It was almost two hours after Patterson’s departure before Chris left Vin with Josiah and returned to the saloon with a definitive course of action forming in his head. The tracker’s spirits had lifted a little, knowing that Alex was in town even though he respected the decision she had made for both of them by staying away. As much as he did want to see her, Vin did not want Alex to see him through the bars of a cell. He had too much pride for that.

Chris made a mental note to go see Alex once he was done in the saloon. Dunwill would have probably told her the outcome of the hearing already but Chris wanted to check on her anyway. It could not be any easier for her to be here and unable to do a thing for Vin, not even to see him, when the possibility that Vin could die hung over her head. Besides, she had to be told that Vin was aware of her being here and he did not want her to hear it from anyone but him as Vin learnt it from Patterson.

Chris entered the saloon and found himself stepping into eruption of dissent and dislike upon his arrival. Judging by the glares he was getting by some of the patrons, Chris came very quickly to the realisation that they were not very happy about the court proceedings today. However, no one was about to voice their discontent to the stranger in black whose imposing manner and intimidating stare was enough to make the bravest of them quiver from fear. Instead, they limited their anger at the hearing today to silent stares and quiet whispers amongst themselves and allowed the gunslinger join his comrades, who were at a table in the far corner of the room, unimpeded.

The rest of the seven were already congregated at the table they had been occupying during most of their stay in Tascosa, keeping a close eye on the other patrons in the establishment lest the mood of silent intolerance led to a more physical reaction. The atmosphere in the saloon despite the lack of real courage was smolderingwith tension and it would take only a nudge to inflame it into a situation as Patterson had clearly demonstrated was possible, the first night they were in Tascosa.

"I’m guessing no one’s very happy about the trial being moved to Amarillo." Chris remarked as he sat down at the table and gestured to the barmaid passing by to bring him a beer.

"The mood is decidedly ugly." Ezra answered his eyes scanning the room, searching not for easy marks this time but for anyone who might be a danger to them. With the amount of hostility being generated inside this room at the present, an unexpected attack was not impossible.

"They actually think Vin is going to be freed." Nathan added.

"He could though." JD declared with more excitement than he ought to be feeling when nothing was certain, no matter how skilled Dunwill might appear inside a courtroom. Legal trickery was not going to free Vin; they needed evidence for that. "That lawyer Dunwill looks really smart and some of the stuff he said to the sheriff shut Ritter right up."

"Kid’s right," Buck agrees taking a sip of his beer. "I notice after last night though, Ritter ain’t as hard nosed as he was when we first got here."

"Probably because he’s starting to believe that there might be a chance Vin’s innocent." Nathan volunteered. "What with Patterson trying to kill us and everything."

Chris tended to agree with the healer’s assertion since Ritter had lifted his ban on their being armed when they were guarding Vin. Although Chris felt it safe enough to leave Vin in Ritter’s custody without any of them being present, he was taking no chances with the tracker’s life. Especially when Vin was behind bars and unable to defend himself should Patterson get it into his mind to end his problem that way or if they were wrong about Ritter’s loyalties.

"Well at least we know Jamieson will be responsible for moving Vin to Amarillo." Buck informed Chris who was unaware of this fact. The Federal Marshall had been in the saloon earlier and had told them that he would assume the transportation of Vin to the jailhouse in Amarillo. The sheriff of that town was a fair man so they could be assured of Vin’s safety. Although Buck had thanked the man, he knew that Chris would not be willing to take Jamieson’s word on it alone and would insist upon accompanying the man when journeying to Amarillo.

"Jamieson’s a good man." Chris remarked which was about the highest praise anyone could get from the gunslinger. "We’ll still be there though." He added and was a surprise to no one at the table who knew Chris Larabee with any depth.

"In the mean time," Chris straightened in his chair as he made his next announcement. "I think its time we paid Caleb Patterson a call. He was in the jailhouse earlier trying to get Vin to confess."

"Son of a bitch..."Buck’s expression darkened.

"Obviously, Mr Tanner was not about to fall prey to such coercion." Ezra said automatically.

"No he didn’t," Chris frowned as he replayed the incident where Patterson had unknowingly let the news slip about Alex. "But he told Vin that Alex was here."

"Aw hell." Buck swore because Vin would  _not_  have been happy to learn that they had all been keeping that information from him. They were his friends and would have expected them to keep no secret from him.  _Especially_  when it involved Alexandra Styles.

"It’s okay," Chris said quickly as he saw the faces around him showing their guilt at being forced to keep that secret from their comrade and their distaste at being found out, especially because of Caleb Patterson. "Vin understands but he let it slip that Alex and he are together so Patterson knows about her."

"Which means he might go after Miss Alex." Nathan concluded out loud.

"Right." The gunslinger nodded grimly. "So we’re going to see Patterson and have a little talk to him, maybe convince him it ain’t such a good idea to bother Alex or Nettie for that matter. I have a feeling if he can’t get the trial stopped he may try for them or even Dunwill to cause trouble. He’s got a lot to hide and we’re gonna find out what that is."

"A little show and force?" Ezra said with a little smile, liking how the mind of their illustrious leader worked.

"More than a little." Chris answered, returning Ezra’s smile with one of his own only his did not appear amused or cocky as Ezra’s always did but rather predatory and dangerous. There were men who were reduced to gibbering wrecks on the strength of that smile alone. Chris could be  _that_  intimidating. The infamous Larabee glare was known to all of them and they were his friends. It could be utterly merciless when aimed at someone he did not like.

"I’m all for that." Buck nodded. "Should we get Josiah?"

"No," Chris shook his head. "I don’t think I want to leave Vin alone even if Ritter is starting to believe he could be innocent. I’d be happier if Josiah was keeping an eye on Vin just in case Patterson’s hired more talent than we know about. Besides, him finding out about Alex was an accident but I don’t want to gamble that he has not sent someone after her already. If trouble comes, Josiah can handle it."

"Perhaps we may even coax Mr Patterson into revealing something that might be of assistance to Mr Tanner’s legal predicament." Ezra suggested, checking the derringer under his sleeve whose presence was not a secret to anyone after last night’s incident.

Chris looked up at the gambler and nodded slightly even though he had every intention of going to the Patterson place and shaking the truth out of the man if it was necessary. He was certain that Patterson was at the bottom of everything. While Amanda Kincaid might know something and was afraid to reveal what she knew for whatever reason, Chris was certain that she was covering up for Patterson. He could not understand what that could have been but he had no wish to attack the problem from that avenue. There was something about Amanda Kincaid that appeared wounded enough as it was and he had no wish to cause her further heartache.

"Never can tell." Chris remarked tautly as he rose to his feet and prompted the others to do the same. "Let’s saddle up."

* * *

After her encounter with Amanda Kincaid, Alex had come to a conclusion she did not like and would have even greater trouble proving if she was right. All this time, Alex had been operating under the assumption that Amanda had a secret in her stead that would liberate Vin and clear his name completely of the murder charge, however, now she was not certain of anything. While she was glad that Dunwill’s efforts at the hearing had proved to be so successful and the possibility that Vin might be acquitted was becoming very real, it was still too much of an uncertainty.

Dunwill had a lot of inconsistencies in the case that might shed doubt on Vin’s involvement but the fact that he was the only suspect made it difficult for him to be completely exonerated. Alex knew that for Vin to be freed, they needed a name to place their accusations or else they would never see past Vin’s possession of the body to believe he was innocent. Alex left her hotel room, making her way to the saloon where she was certain Chris Larabee would be, if he were not at the jailhouse. Although she had explained her suspicions to Dunwill, the lawyer was more interested in what he could prove in a courtroom and not something as intangible as her instincts.

Chris would understand Alex though as she crossed the street. While she found the gunslinger intimidating at the best of times, they had reached an understanding with each other. Bound by the mutual affection for Vin Tanner, Chris and Alex stood on neutral ground most times. He knew never to cross her when it came to the medical health of any member of the seven, himself included and those in their tight knit circle, while she understood that as leader, he had to make hard decisions at times which she might not agree with but nonetheless respected.

She was halfway across the street when she saw him emerging from the saloon and let out a sigh of relief that she did not have to enter the establishment to seek him out. As they strode purposefully past the batwing doors, it appeared that something was happening or was about to happen and for a moment, her heart tightened at the awful possibility that something might have happened to Vin to precipitate the grim expression on Chris Larabee’s face. Lifting up her skirts, she hastened her pace until she caught up with the lawmen from Four Corners.

"What’s happened?" Alex demanded as she hurried along side of Chris and stopped the man in his tracks as he turned to face her.

"We’re going to go see Patterson." Chris said shortly, not wishing to be delayed now that he had made the decision to go. "I’m going to get the truth out of him one way or another."

"Are you sure?" Alex looked at him skeptically; not believing Patterson was responsible for Kincaid’s murder even though he was guilty of  _something_.

"Mr Larabee has good reason to believe so Alexandra," Ezra spoke up. "Mr Patterson tried to coerce Mr Tanner into confessing to the murder by threatening your life and that of Mrs Wells."

Alex stared at Chris. "Vin knows I’m here?" She gasped, not wishing this at all. Now the urge to go see him was even worse and she wondered if he was angry with her for keeping away, even though she was only acting this way out of love for him.

"I’m sorry Alex," Chris apologised, feeling sincerely regretful about that. "Patterson let it slip you were here, I had no choice but to tell him."

Alex’s expression melted into dismay and Chris could see this troubled her. "He isn’t mad Alex," he quickly responded to reassure her. "He understands why you kept away but Patterson knows you’re here and what you mean to him so we have to go and make sure he doesn’t try anything."

"Maybe get the truth out of the bastard as well." Buck snorted, feeling just as eager to get started. He hated the idea of Vin being trapped in that cell as much as Chris did, even more so now that they had started a business together and Buck had a deeper sense of the man than he ever did after two years of riding together.

They continued walking, leaving Alex a few steps behind as they headed towards the livery to get their horses when she quickly caught up with them again. "Chris, I don’t know whether that’s such a good idea."

Chris did not stop walking. "You got any better ones, I’m listening." He did not bother to hide his annoyance at her questioning him like this.

Alex noticed this and knew she was prodding a lion with a stick by being so persistent but she had to say what was on her mind. "Chris, I don’t think he did it."

He stopped in mid stride then and turned to her slowly. "What do you mean?" He demanded his voice little more than a low hiss.

"No one sends men after someone if they ain’t guilty of something Alex," Buck pointed out before she could answer.

"I know that," Alex sighed, feeling all their eyes on her and unable to deny that she was intimidated. "He might be guilty of something but I don’t think he is responsible for Jesse Kincaid."

"Why?" Chris asked sharply, his lips thinning into a taut line which made Alex feel like she was ten years old, forced to tell her father that the reason the dog had gone to sleep was because she was playing with his ether.

"I’ve been talking to Kincaid’s wife Amanda and I’m telling you, she’s hiding something. Something really bad." Alex lowered her voice as she made this confession. "Something she’s utterly terrified to let anyone find out."

"That don’t mean she has anything to do with Kincaid’s death." Chris softened a little because when he had first laid eyes upon Amanda Kincaid, he had been confronted by similar suspicions and could understand why Alex would come to that conclusion.

"I disagree," Alex continued, certain she was right even if it that conclusion was supported by nothing more than just her vague and undefined suspicions. "Chris, when we were having tea in her shop, I saw burns on her arms."

"Burns?" Nathan asked immediately, his brow furrowing. "What kind of burns?"

"Judging by the look of them, I would say they were cigar burns."

"Jesus." Ezra whispered, unable to hide his disgust. "Our Mr Kincaid might have deserved the death he received."

"Alex that don’t prove nothing." Chris continued, just as determined as she was that he was right about his own conclusions regarding Patterson. Spousal abuse as disgusting as it was, was not uncommon. It happened a lot more than people would like to admit and in the frontier where women were considered second class citizens, it happened even more often. "What he did ain’t right but abuse like that don’t translate into murder."

"How the hell would you know!" She hissed angrily because he did not understand what she was trying to tell him. All he could see was that Amanda had been hurt with no concept of psychological scarring that was left behind after such prolonged abuse. "You’re a man for god sakes! Have you ever had to have sex with someone you couldn’t stand? I don’t think so." She said not all padding her words for their benefit because they had to understand what could drive a person to commit murder.

"No?" She looked at them when they did not answer and saw Chris staring at her with some measure of shock. "Well then imagine what its like to have sex with someone for _ten years_ whose only use for you is as the receptacle for his seed and when he’s not having sex with you, amuses himself lit cigars and belt buckles. Do you have any concept at all of what that does to a person? It wears away at the spirit and the mind. People kill themselves for less."

"Christ." Buck capitulated first because he knew men who indulged in that kind of cruelty and he knew the women left broken in pieces after such experiences. "Kincaid did that to her?"

"And more I think but she won’t tell me." Alex swallowed; glad someone had an idea of what she was trying to impart upon them. "She’s been through ten years of hell and right now, something is spooking her really bad. She feels a tremendous amount of guilt, which I don’t think, is just because she was happy to be rid of the bastard. There’s something more and you could be making one hell of a mistake if you ride over to Patterson’s, trying to make him give you answers that might not have anything to do with Vin."

"It still doesn’t explain why Kincaid would come after us." Chris countered even though her words did penetrate. Perhaps Amanda did know something about Patterson’s involvement and was too afraid to speak them out. "Alex, he threatened your life and Nettie’s so that Vin would confess to the murder. That ain’t the actions of an innocent man."

It was pointless trying to convince him, Alex sighed. He was determined to believe that Patterson was responsible because that was an enemy he could fight and as passionately as she believed in her own suspicions, there was a kernel of doubt that gnawed at her that she might be wrong. After all, Patterson had proved himself to be capable of murder, why was it not possible that he might have something to do with Kincaid’s death?

"I suppose," she said reluctantly. "Just don’t get too heavy handed will you?" She sighed. "The last thing Mary needs in her condition is you getting thrown in jail."

Chris stared at her. "Condition?"

Alex groaned inwardly.  _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_

"A new bride and all." Alex cleared her throat hoping to cover the mistake she had made and wondered if this was going to be how the rest of the day would go. Damn! So much for doctor patient confidentiality, she scolded herself for as many times she could cram into the seconds after she had blurted out Mary’s secret so inadvertently.

"Even I ain’t buying that." JD quipped and Alex threw the young man a dark look and sent him withdrawing behind Buck to avoid her murderous glare.

"What condition?" Chris repeated himself and this time his voice had hard edge that more or less told her he wanted an answer and he wanted it  _right_   _now_.

"She wanted to tell you herself but with everything that happened with Vin, I guess she never got around to it." Alex sighed unhappily; unable to believe she could have simply blurted out Mary’s secret like that. Mary was never going to forgive her, or let her forget it for that matter.

"Tell...me...what?" He said slowly, with even more menace than previously if that was possible.

"That she’s going to have a baby in spring."

Chris’ eyes widened and then he fell silent.

"Hey!" Buck burst out grinning before he could stop himself. "All right pardner! Congratulations." He slapped Chris hard on the back before the gunslinger looked over his shoulder and shot him a look that immediately stilled his exuberance.

"She’s pregnant?" Chris was finally able to respond.

"Two months." Alex said reluctantly. "She found out the day before Jamieson came to town."

Chris swore under his breath because he had suspected there was something on Mary’s mind when he departed Tascosa that she never got to tell him. He had believed it could wait until he got back and assumed it could not be very urgent since she had not insisted on telling him. Suddenly, he remembered the special dinner she had prepared the evening Vin had been taken and had questioned why she had sent Billy to Julia, believing she had been planning an intimate evening. Well she had, he supposed, just not for the reasons he thought. He did not even notice when the vein in his temple, the one he had secretly called the ‘Mary vein’ had started throbbing.

"Try and contain your enthusiasm when Mary tells you." Alex replied, wondering why he was rubbing his temple like he was having a headache.

"I guess I ain’t the only one who’s going to be up to my ass in dirty diapers." Buck grinned.

"You paint a most inviting argument for fatherhood, Mr Wilmington." Ezra remarked sarcastically, his face tightening into a wince of distaste.

"A spring baby is good luck," Nathan added, trying to sound just as enthused by the news even though Chris did not seem to be able to say much on the subject after that initial inquiry.

"Yeah, Billy will be thrilled to have a baby brother." JD said, knowing this for a fact after the numerous conversations he had with the child on the subject in the past.

"Enough." Chris said harshly with more intensity than he intended. He could not deal with this at the moment. The idea of another child brought with it emotions he did not want to deal with. It had taken him long enough to get used to the idea of marriage after the tragic way he had lost Sarah and Adam. Chris was not a man who accepted change well and having a family again was taking some getting used to even after the many months he and Mary had sealed their union.

A part of him was happy that he was going to be a father again. He remembered holding Adam in his arms for the first time and thinking to himself that there was nothing in the world he would not do for this child and delighted in the incredible years that followed. Bathing this tiny form that relied solely upon him for everything, feeding him even though food never seem to stay in his mouth long enough to be swallowed and the sheer joy of seeing that cherubic face looking up at him and call him pa for the first time. His heart had melted on the spot when Adam said those words to him and Chris who was never an emotional man had almost felt tears in his eyes when his son looked at him and knew that Chris was his father. Chris kept Adam in his mind in every vivid detail, he could remember whether or not it was cold or hot outside the day Adam had taken his first steps. Apart of him looked forward to experiencing all that again. He had missed it for Billy but there were firsts there too.

Unfortunately, another part of him was terrified.

Terrified because with all those pleasant memories were  _not so_  pleasant images. It was strange the betrayal that the mind could perpetrate upon someone by leading them down poignant memories before bringing them to a place of utter horror. That same smiling face, the one that had called him father burned beyond recognition until its skin felt like paper and he was forced to watch as dirt covered it forever. Chris had spent the next three years trying to block the image out of his mind with as much liquor as he could drink and it was still never quite enough. Chris was not sure he wanted to go through that again but it looked like he had no choice now. When Mary had fallen pregnant before, there had been so much going on at the time, he had been more concerned about her not being married to think about the child itself.

Things were different now. They were married and children were always going to be a natural extension of that commitment. He knew this was a possibility when he chose to become a husband again but until this moment, had not realized how truly little he had given the matter any real thought. Well according to Alex, he was going to have at least seven months to think about it.

"We don’t have time for this." He said after a moment. Even though it was second since he had spoken, it felt longer. "You get back to the hotel." Chris looked at Alex, deciding that he would deal with his feelings on impending fatherhood later.

The tone in his voice told Alex not to argue with him. She felt awful enough as it is about telling him about the baby at a time like this. "Okay." She swallowed.

"I want you, Nettie and Dunwill to be on the look out." He continued. "I won’t put it past Patterson to come after you this soon. Anything goes wrong, you go find Josiah at the jailhouse. Understand?"

"Yes," she nodded obediently, not about to argue with him after what she had done. Alex was mortified beyond belief that she had betrayed Mary’s confidence. "Chris, I’m sorry...." She started to say.

"Don’t." He said abruptly cutting her off because he did not want to hear it, not now. He glanced over his shoulder and looked at the others who recognised the Larabee glare daring them to say a word. None of them were game.

"Let’s go." He ordered and started walking, black duster trailing behind him.

Alex watched him go and then thought to herself,  _Mary is going to kill me_.

* * *

The ride to the Patterson placed took less than an hour even though it would take nearly a day to cross the wide expanse of the rancher’s property once they had reached it. Nevertheless, the journey was silent with the majority of the seven, excepting Chris of course, feeling awkward and at a loss at what to say to the gunslinger since the news of his impending fatherhood was received with anything that could be remotely described as enthusiasm. Despite their belief that such news ought to be a cause for celebration, they could very well understand why the gunslinger was having such difficulty with the prospect of being a father to newborn in light of the family he had lost before the creation of the fellowship.

Buck Wilmington who was possibly the only person who could approach Chris’ on this subject because he had seen Chris Larabee at his absolute worst and was capable of handling anything the man said to him, sidled his horse alongside his old friend. Even though Chris was a mask of concentration, only Buck knew him well enough to see through the façade of indifference to know that turmoil was churning inside his guts. Chris was never silent for a reason. Even when one would think he was at peace, he was thinking his dark, sombre thoughts. There were times when Buck believed Chris was never any other way.

"You okay Chris?" Buck asked, knowing that Chris needed to be focussed on dealing with Patterson for them to get anything out of the man when they finally confronted him about Jesse Kincaid and his association with Ely Joe. As it was, Alex’s words had effected the lawman more than he would like to admit and after the doctor’s impassioned argument, even Buck felt the rock solid contention of Patterson’s guilt wavering. He needed to hear that Chris was sure that they were doing the right thing but knew that Chris was in no condition to make that determination while his mind was elsewhere.

"I’m fine." Chris said tautly, not wishing to discuss this matter with Buck or anyone for that matter because he knew what Buck was going to say. Buck was all fired up on the dazzle of being a new family man to have no concept of how utterly devastating it could be to lose a wife and child the way he had. Chris prayed secretly that Buck would never know that kind of agony and secretly excused his old friend for trying to help even if his empathy of Chris’ feelings could not translate into understanding.

Glancing briefly at his friends, Chris felt a stab of guilt that the mood of the group was so dismal. He knew that it was his fault that was forcing them to tread around him like they were walking on eggshells, recognizing that he had descended into one of his black moods and that it was not wise to provoke him with meaningless attempts at conversation. Chris felt sorry for that but he was not about to apologize for himself.

"It ain’t so bad, you know." Buck pointed out. "I never thought I could do any good as someone’s pa." He confessed, unable to deny that the last two months had been something of a revelation to him. All his life, Buck had searched for a family even though he refused to settle down, believing himself too much of a ladies man to ever find love with just one woman. Inez had changed all that and shown him that he was capable of much and Elena Rose had sealed his doom with little more than a gurgle and a smile. After so many years trying to pull Chris from the abyss of sorrow after the death of Sarah and Adam, Buck could finally sympathize with what it was that had left his friend so distraught when he lost them. Now more than ever, could he appreciate how difficult it must have been for Chris to decide to live after that loss because Buck was not sure he could, if he was faced with the same horror.

"I don’t want to talk about it." Chris said firmly, knowing from experience that Buck was too stubborn to let the matter rest, at least without a good deal of pummeling to the side of the head.

"Okay, I understand." Buck replied.

Chris looked over his shoulder and grunted. "No you don’t," he countered. "You’re just saying that you do but in real fact, you don’t understand at all. You’re just trying to get under my skin."

"Whatever you say Chris." Buck rolled his eyes as if he were humoring him which only served to anger Chris more.

"Damn straight." Chris nodded and faced front. "I am fine and I don’t care if you don’t understand or if you think you understand or whatever. You’ve been at it for two months. Wait until its eight years and everything that defines you is your family and even the thought of being without them makes you sit up at night in a cold sweat. When you can do that and then be faced with losing them, you’ll know what I’m talking about."

"I ain’t arguing with you on that Chris." Buck said with that maddening complacency which only served to infuriate Chris even more. How did he do that? Chris thought with smoldering annoyance as he forced himself to keep silent and listen to what Buck had to say because he would not let the matter rest until he did so.

"I’m just happy for you that’s all." Buck replied. "Mary’s a fine woman and you are a great father to Billy as you were to Adam. I think when you get over the fear that’s eating you inside, you might actually start to enjoy being one a  _third_  time."

With that, Buck kicked his heels in and pushed his horse a few paces forward, leaving Chris behind him to contemplate his words.

* * *

Alexandra Styles decided against returning to the hotel following the departure of Chris Larabee and the others, stinging in anger at her blatant stupidity in allowing herself to reveal to Chris that Mary was pregnant. A part of her flared in outrage at how he taken the news particularly since Mary was so ecstatic about the new arrival. Walking along the boardwalk of this dusty old town, garnering looks that ranged from indifference to pure dislike by her attachment to Vin Tanner even though they did not know how for certain and by the fact that she was something of a curiosity to them. This was nothing new to Alex and she went on her way, making conversation and hurdled their initial hostility until she soon wore them down enough to get them talking.

Alex seldom let racial prejudice get in the way of what she wanted and she had dealt with enough times in her life to become quite adept at forcing people to see past her the color of her skin. It was no different in Tascosa and it was no different when she had first arrived in Four Corners.

They had not known what to make of her there either. Neither colored but not white either, she was paradox of something different while retaining all the airs of a gentlewoman. It did not help that she was also the only other healer in the place other than Nathan Jackson or that she walked the line that only Mary Travis had dared to traverse until then being unmarried and both financially and socially independent. She had been accepted eventually because of Mary and Inez but largely because of her association with the seven. When she mended their wounds and pulled bullets from their flesh, she had shown everyone in Four Corners that she was a healer worth her salt and then some. She was not just a healer who dealt in herbs and other exotic remedies, nor was she a sawbones but an honest to god, physician borne of one of the best medical school in Europe.

Alex had not thought she would be so passionate about the place when she had first arrived, considering that she had journeyed to America and this lonely place in the Territory because there was decided lack of doctors in that part of the frontier and she needed to practice  _somewhere_. Sweet Water and Bitter Creek had their physicians but Four Corners was devoid of proper medical expertise and so she had chosen that town, known to her only by its name to build a life for herself. Perhaps in anticipation of the difficulty she would always have because of her mixed heritage, her father ensured that she would never have to worry about money by the time he passed on. So she knew that she never really needed to earn a living in the town, just a find a place to be the doctor she always dreamed of being.

In Four Corners, she had done that and more. She had discovered she was not only a qualified physician but she was also a damn good one and if she had a white male, she would have been something great. However, it was the effect upon her personal life that Four Corners really left its mark. For as long as she could remember, there was herself and her father, William Styles. They had been each other’s best friend as they journeyed throughout the world and when he died, a part of her went with him she was certain she would never get back. However, her father had raised her strong, far more than he had ever thought and she accepted that the loneliness would be the rest of her life.

The family she found in Four Corners was more than just a surprise, it was a revelation.

They all held a place in her heart even though she seldom admitted to anyone just how deeply she cared for each of them. From the kinship she shared with Mary and Inez Recillos for being women who lived life on their own terms, ignoring tradition and society idea of what a woman should to become what a woman  _could_  be. Even though they had rocky start to begin, she had come to feel the same about Julia Pemberton who thumbed her nose at convention with more disregard than any woman Alex knew. Julia, was one of those rare individuals that made those around her do nothing but stand back and gape in awe at the sheer strength of character that allowed nothing to get in the way of what she wanted.

This was the family she had always dreamed of having and the seven men upon whom she did her best work were also apart of that circle. Nathan who was her friend and her confidant, the brother she always, the sister he had lost. Nothing had pleased her more then to be able to help him realise his dream of becoming a doctor. Josiah whose calm, serene manner had the tendency to soothe her worries with his recitals of poetry when they were all lying at ease in the sun, had the amazing ability in his voice to show them all just how much they had. Buck Wilmington who was incorrigible in all things playful and mischief, who seemed to make her laugh no matter how inappropriate the moment. JD who would reluctantly ask her questions about women even though he would go bright red each time he was force to make the inquiry and often beside himself when he received the answer.

There was Chris Larabee, who sat at the head of that family, whom infuriated her and frightened her at the same time. She admired Mary’s ability to see past that hardened exterior to see the soul beneath. Lord knew Alex could never do that herself. Frighten her he may, but in a crisis, save her father and even superseding her fiancée, there was no one else in this world in whom she had more confidence. When Chris took a hand in a situation, one could be assured that things would right itself. The power of the man was blinding at times and one would question why he would content himself with the life he had when the mind behind those intense eyes could do anything or be anything.

Ezra.

Best to leave that alone. There were too many memories about him, some not her own that she did not wish to ever deal with, to know that any reflection of him would never entirely paint the true nature of feelings for him. They both knew why and they both respected the choice to let sleeping dogs lie.

What had she thought about Vin Tanner when she first saw him?

_He had nice eyes._

There was something slight but not enough to shift her affection from Ezra the first time she met Vin Tanner. However, once it seeped into her bones like ink on a fabric, its left a mark that remained forever. Slowly it evolved into something that even now Alex could not fathom and once overwhelmed by it could not imagine how she survived so long without. He was not just her lover, her friend but everything that made the dark inside her fade away. When she was with him, even being a doctor meant nothing if she could be at his side. She loved him more than her life and knew that it was no idle claim.

If he were taken from her, Alex would never recover and she knew it.

The idea that he could die in this decaying town was driving her insane with worry, no matter how much hope was starting to filter through the cloak of despair that wrapped itself around her since the moment Federal Marshall Jamieson had appeared at her door. Alex knew that there was a way to save him, to keep the dreams they whispered about in the soft, tender moments following their passionate lovemaking. She had taken this walk because she knew that it was Amanda Kincaid who was the key to his freedom despite what Chris believed about Patterson. The gunslinger needed an enemy he could fight because he was just as wracked with worry and though she dared not voice it to him, Alex was thinking more clearly than he was. If Vin died, he would be losing his best friend, she on the other hand, would lose her reason to live.

The urgency of that pressing against her, made things clearer because she simply  _had_  to be to save him.

Of course, knowing that she had to save Vin and being actually able to do it were two different things, no matter how imperative it might be. Alex did not know how long she walked as she debated with the course of action she was about to embark, knowing only that it was Vin’s last hope of freedom and praying she would be able to live with herself after. In truth, Alex felt a deep sympathy for Amanda Kincaid, too much in fact for her to ever really feel comfortable with what she intended to do especially what the consequences would mean to the woman if Alex’s desperate gamble had the results she intended.

Ever since she had left Amanda Kincaid’s presence, Alex had been debating the connection that would link her to the murder of her husband. In the beginning, Alex had believed that Amanda had something to hide and was justified in her opinion that Amanda’s secretive ways were mostly to hide the abuse she had received at her husband’s cruel hands as well as not feeling any real remorse for his death. However, the more Alex spoke to Amanda, the more her instincts told her that there was more to the widow’s guilt and Amanda did indeed feel guilty. Compassion was not usually shown to the lover of someone who was suspected of killing a loved one.

Alex suspected then and certainly believed it now with very little doubt that Amanda Kincaid’s dark secret was far more sinister than simply keeping a secret of what had transpired the day her husband died. The more the doctor thought about the matter, the more evident it became that Amanda had endured her husband’s abuse, believing no end in sight until Ely Joe had happened upon Kincaid and killed him. Was it coincidence? Alex did not believe so. During her travels across town later that day, she spoke to people about Ely Joe under the pretence that she had been from a town that had been similarly terrorised by the outlaw. While people viewed her with trepidation, some saw little harm in gossiping about their most infamous son.

  
Ely Joe had come from Tascosa and had been a bad seed from the day he was born. The only child of a drunken father who took to beating on his child as drunks often did, Ely Joe was taught from an early age that force was the way of the world. He was always getting into trouble in one shape or form throughout most of his teens until the school would no longer take him back and then he was left to roam the streets, escalating the severity of each new crime. When he robbed the bank and killed the people inside the premises, it was or no surprise to anyone although the town’s desire to see him hang was intense particularly because he had lived among them.

At first, Alex could not imagine why Ely Joe would come back here. In this town, he was known. To be spotted would mean being shot on sight by angry townsfolk. While it made sense to make this the perfect venue for his framing of Vin, it was still risky. Chris had mentioned something about a lame horse, that Ely Joe had been passing Tascosa at the time his animal threw a shoe. Kincaid was not killed until the next morning, almost a good twelve hours from the time Vin had first discovered the tracks to the point where the warm body was first located. No horses were stolen from the ranch and with the exception of the dead body, everything seemed intact. Alex could not imagine Ely Joe killing Kincaid and then stopping to fix the shoe of his horse. He would need tools for that chore, tools she doubted a hardened outlaw would have on him, especially when he was accustomed to being on the run.

Thus Alex was led to the conclusion that Chris Larabee would rather disregard because Patterson was the more obvious suspect. What if Ely Joe had sought aid at the Kincaid farm to shoe his horse? That would explain much. Kincaid was not from Tascosa originally and it was altogether possible that he might not have recognised Ely Joe when the man first appeared on his doorstep. If Kincaid did not recognise him, Amanda might have and the lady seemed too indifferent to make an issue about it unless she saw the arrival of this outlaw, known for his callous disregard for life, as a means of escaping the brutality of her life. If Ely Joe was already looking for a victim in order to frame Vin, Amanda’s offer to say nothing if he would only rid her of her husband would have been inviting indeed.

However, there was more to it than just that. Ely Joe was a hardened criminal and Alex doubted he would not have attempted to turn the situation to his advantage. The question remained on how Amanda had managed to convince him? Ely Joe was a brutal savage no different in some respects from Kincaid and far worse by all other account, what would induce him to help a widow escape her bondage? Alex doubted Amanda would have had much money to pay him if Kincaid was that abusive. Knowing Kincaid, allowing his wife to have some measure of financial independence would have been too much; after all, Amanda was young and beautiful while Kincaid was almost twenty years older than she was.

Then it hit Alex with perfect clarity and understanding just how Amanda had done it.

In retrospect, it should have been no surprise as odious as it might seem to her. After Kincaid, how much worse could it be for Amanda to use that as a last resort. Perhaps it might have even been better since Ely Joe might not have the propensity for physical abuse that Kincaid did. He was a professional criminal and the man that had been described to Alex in her inquiries around town did not fit the profile of a sadistic just a ruthless outlaw. He killed because it was expedient to do so, and there was no particular evidence to prove that he enjoyed it. Given a reason that suited him, Alex believed Amanda could have swayed Ely Joe into making the decision that saw him use Kincaid as the instrument of his revenge upon Vin Tanner.

With this in mind, a plan had taken shape in Alex’s psyche of a risky gamble to bring the truth out into the open. She needed a corroborating witness to be present when she put this plan into effect because no judge would believe her if she were to make her claim, not merely because of her relationship to Vin but besides her racial differences, it would be her word against Amanda’s. Unfortunately, none of the seven could be relied upon to provide this collaboration either, for almost the same reason. Their relationship with Vin would make them unreliable as Mr Dunwill would no doubt point out at this juncture. She needed someone who was beyond reproach.

The sheriff was out of the question. As far as Alex knew, the man was convinced he had found his killer and there was no reason to trouble the widow of the victim. Besides, just the mere suggestion of her impugning Amanda Kincaid’s name would probably result in having herself thrown into jail cell next to Vin, hardly the way she envisioned their reunion to take place. No, she could not go to Ritter for assistance. Suddenly, she remembered that Marshal Jamieson was in town. Jamieson had proved himself to be a fair man from her previous experience with him. He could have been very heavy handed with Vin when he had come to apprehend him in Four Corners but Jamieson had shown himself to be quite compassionate. Even when Vin had broken free and escaped, he had allowed Chris to go after the tracker and bring him to Tascosa without any further bloodshed. Alex was certain that if she brought forward her suspicions to Jamieson, he would help her. Jamieson appeared to be a man who would see justice done.

Alex hoped it was justice she was seeking, not a sacrificial lamb to take Vin’s place at the altar.

* * *

Patterson was expecting them.

No that was unfair. The rancher had not really been expecting them as such but was anticipating some kind of trouble because when the seven finally approached and placed the ranch within their sights, it was plain to see by the men stationed across the homestead, that Patterson was taking no chances. Unfortunately the place was wide open as most ranches and not at all defensible when nestled on the flat terrain of the Texas Panhandle where everything was even without even the advantage of large hills to keep an intruder from getting a lay of the land.

Although their number was weakened by the lost of two, five was still a number of power. Though devoid of the mystical energy of the seven, they were still enough of a force to be reckoned with. It was not quite dark when they reached the homestead, with the sky pulling the sun into the horizon as the canvas of black descended steadily. Arriving shortly before the twilight had come, Chris had an opportunity to see the battleground while there still something of the day left. It was at this point that he discovered that Patterson had his home fortified against a number of men who were well armed and appeared ready for trouble.

Chris was not about to risk his friends in any full frontal assault so they held back until the darkness had completely descended while he took the time to formulate his strategy on how they would confront the man. He wanted it done with as little bloodshed as possible, despite what he had initially told Alex about getting the truth from the man. During the journey here, he had reason to do some deep thinking, some of which had related with his own personal demons but also on the question of Patterson’s possible innocence. Chris considered himself a fair man and the fact of the matter was, Alex had sewn enough seeds of doubt in his mind to question the desire for all out aggression.

They waited until dark so they could move in unencumbered but with men watching in all directions for intruder, Chris knew that Patterson’s hired guns would spot them even through the darkness. What they needed to get into the grounds of the homestead without bringing themselves to the attention of Patterson’s men was a distraction. As Chris sat astride his horse watching the ranch in the distance under the cloak of night, he reached into his coat and produced the pocket watch that was always with him, whose existence unlike Buck's own ornate timepiece, was really an heirloom. He glanced at the worn glass face, considering with silent pride that the mechanism still ran well even though it had survived almost twenty-two years in his possession and occasionally needed maintenance to keep perfect time.

He recalled briefly the day he had received it and the person who had given it to him. As surprised as he had been to receive the gift, it was one of the few times in his life when he felt proud to be on the receiving end of such affection. He rarely felt such kinship or bonding with the man who had presented him with the time piece and despite what would happen between them later and the enmity that followed, Chris still cherished the moment though he would admit it to no one, not even Mary.

Chris stared at the clock face and saw that enough time had passed for him to make his move at last. Even though he could not see his comrades, he knew they were crossing the terrain between himself and Patterson’s ranch and would soon be at a point where they would become visible to the enemy. It was time for him to move and he dug his heels into the sides of his animal, causing the horse to break into a robust gallop when it surged ahead.

As he rode forward in plain sight, unafraid of being seen by anyone, Chris thought to himself that it felt odd to make this journey without Vin at his side. He was so accustomed to seeing the younger man next to him that his absence was disconcerting. He continued forward, noticing the faces in the dark that were discovering his advance from their places where they had taken point in watching for intruders. It was just as Chris wished when he thundered forward, unafraid of falling under their notice. It was the entire point of the exercise that their attention be firmly fixed upon him.

It was entirely possible that he could have been shot as he progressed towards the ranch but Chris would reserve the unenviable position as decoy for no one but himself. Even though he had as much to lose anyone else, Chris would risk none of his friends to become target practice, since it was in all honesty his plan to begin with. As he narrowed the gap towards the main gates, he could see rifles being raised and aimed at him. Men were shifting from roles as sentries to those of defenders and Chris unbuttoned the flaps of both his guns as he continued forward.

When the house came into clear view, he saw the main doors swing open and Patterson emerging from the house, flanked by two of his men as the rancher came further away from his home to see the intruder that was fast approaching. Chris made no threatening moves, aware that his entire plan relied upon him penetrating the fortress without harm. Patterson had to believe that he was here to talk and in actual reality, it was not far away from the truth. As the plan had been formulated to breach its walls, Chris suddenly found himself again nagged by doubt at what Alex had said prior to his departure from Tascosa about Amanda Kincaid.

He had intended to come here with threats and bluster but the more he considered her words, the more the possibility became plausible. If Vin was cleared then it might be possible that Sheriff Ritter would suspect complicity by another person. Considering all the bad blood between Patterson and Kincaid, it was quite conceivable that the rancher feared that suspicion might be shifted to him since he did have the motive. Was that fear enough to precipitate the threats and coercion he had attempted. Was it possible that Patterson was behaving like this out of some knee jerk reaction to avoid implication.

That disturbed Chris greatly because if Alex was right and Patterson was innocent, then their chances of freeing Vin was negligible at best.

Chris arrived at the timber fences that surrounded the Patterson homestead. The gate was meant mostly for the protection of the main house since the property itself was impossible to fence with any measure of entirety. He slowed his horse to a light trot as he passed through the gate and immediately saw a number of hired hands closing in on him, surrounding him with their guns drawn. Patterson however, was barking orders to hold their fire, which gave Chris some measure of relief because it appeared the man was willing to hear him out.

Chris kept his hand poised on his gun though, unwilling to believe that accidents did not happen as Patterson walked through the group of men before him, staring at Chris in a mixture of confusion and suspicion. He knew that Chris was placing himself voluntarily in danger by coming here alone and wondered what the man was up to.

"Mr Larabee," Patterson approached his horse as Chris remained in the saddle, unwilling to dismount just yet. "What a surprise." Of course his tone indicated that it was not one that was pleasant but rather opportune, considering he tried to have the man killed the night before.

"We gotta talk." Chris said shortly. "I didn’t have to come here alone but I think we need words saying to each other." The gunslinger met his gaze.

His response threw Patterson who had not expected this for anything. Until this moment, the man had been still planning his strategy, trying to decide what was the best course of action to take in relation to his troubles with Vin Tanner and Jesse Kincaid’s murder. "Like what?"

Chris exhaled loudly. "I don’t think we can speak this out in the open." He remarked, allowing his gaze to sweep over the faces around him. "This needs to be done between us alone."

"So you can kill me?" Patterson declared sceptically. "Not likely."

"I ain’t here to kill you," Chris retorted automatically. "I’m here to say that I don’t think you were responsible for Kincaid’s death. In fact, I don’t think you had anything to do with it or Ely Joe at all."

Of all the thing that he could have said to the rancher, this was the one response that Patterson had least expected. He blinked twice, uncertainty draining into his face as he considered his options before remarking. "Come inside." He said abruptly and turned on his heels. "Let him through boys." He issued that order as he strode back to the house, not waiting for Chris to follow.

Chris dismounted quickly and was given right of way as he moved through the men keeping sharp eyes on their employer and until Chris saw their faces, he had thought them to be hired guns. However, now as he had a closer look, he suddenly realised that these were not hired guns at all but hired hands. These were not men who killed for a living but rather men who herded cattle and lived out on the land. Suddenly, Caleb Patterson was not the only one who was surprised.

Chris entered the luxurious home and found it to be no different from any belonging to a wealthy rancher. As he entered the house, he heard Patterson ushering his wife and children out of the parlour and waited to receive his unexpected guest with two of his men standing close by in case this was some attempt at a ruse. Chris did not mind, admitting that in Patterson’s place he might be just suspicious of his intentions as well.

"All right Larabee," Patterson urged, talking a seat. "Talk."

"Like I said," Chris remarked. "I don’t think you did it."

"You think Tanner did it?" The man looked at him with astonishment.

"No," Chris shook his head and started to realise something else, that Patterson really did not have any idea who was responsible for Kincaid’s death. "I think it might have been his wife."

Patterson’s look of genuine astonishment more or less confirmed his innocence. Chris who knew how to spot a lie better than any person alive with the exception of Ezra Standish knew the man was telling the truth. However, innocent or not, he still had something to hide that he was willing to kill for and Chris wanted to know what that was.

  
"Amanda?" Patterson snorted in disbelief. "You’re insane. That little girl wouldn’t hurt anyone."

"She would if Kincaid was beating on her." Chris added, suddenly becoming more and more convinced of his innocence.

A look of distaste flooded into Patterson’s face as if the idea of any man treating a woman that way was abhorrent to him. Chris marvelled at the sentiment that would make it permissible for him to allow the murder of a man in his bed but would still have moral objection to the physical of a woman. He supposed that something were even too much for some people to tolerate, especially a family man like Patterson appeared to be. "How do you know this?"

"A friend of mine seen burns on her hands of the kind that are left behind by a cigar." Chris replied.

"Then he deserved to die." The rancher sneered viciously. "The man was a bastard.’

"I don’t argue with you there," Chris added. "But since you didn’t have nothing to do with Kincaid dying, why you so hung up and proving that my friend done it." The gunslinger narrowed his eyes as he put forward that question to the rancher who shrugged uncomfortably as he searched for a response.

"I wanted to see justice done." The man lied.

"Bull shit." Chris retorted sharply. "You tried to have me and mine killed, I want to know why. More importantly, I want to know why it is so important to you that Vin confess to murdering Kincaid, if you didn’t have anything to do with it."

Patterson eased back in his chair and started to gloat. "I don’t have to tell you anything Larabee," he gestured to the two men who were behind him. Both men brandished their guns in a display of force to impress upon Chris that he was alone and they were prepared to kill him. "You ain’t with your friends now. What’s to stop me from killing you?"

"Not much." Chris said unperturbed as he faced the rancher, confident that the enemy had misjudged the situation considerably. However men liked Patterson often did, until the situation came up bit them on the ass and reminded them otherwise. Caleb Patterson was about to get a rude awakening. "Except that I would assume anything when it comes to me or my friends."

Patterson’s brow furrowed as he tried to decipher what Chris’ enigmatic words meant before the roar of gunfire explained it with perfect clarity. As the noise erupted, Chris spun around, both guns blazing. It was still his intention not to kill anybody so he aimed carefully and Patterson’s men though armed were easily distracted by the shots outside the home as Chris’ contingency plan moved into full effect. Coupled with the screams of Patterson’s wife and children from the upper floor, no doubt moved to fright by the violence taking place outside, the hired hands were not quite fast enough to outshoot the gunslinger who was better at this than they were. One bullet slammed into a shoulder, slicing through the nerve that kept fingers around a gun. The weapon clattered to the floor noisily as the man clutched his injured arm, while his companion screamed in when his palm oozed blood from where the second bullet had penetrated and exited in a blink of an eye.

Chris wasted no time in retrieving both weapons before he turned his attention to Patterson, who was still somewhat dazed at the sudden change in circumstances. Chris motioned the two men to join their employer and waited patiently as they obeyed, throwing angry gazes at him while holding their injured limbs. Finally they nestled in a position where Chris could keep a close eye on all of them and begin his interrogation. Outside the shooting continued and Chris moved to the window to try and gauge how it was going. It was difficult to see and finally he decided his time would be better served if returned his attention to Patterson.

"Now Patterson," Chris Larabee said with that infamous smile of predatory ice. "You don’t got to tell me nothing but there won’t be anything to stop me from killing you either."


	9. The Very Best of Intentions

Alex found Jamieson in the lodging house he had taken up residence with the rest of his men, during his stay in Tascosa for Vin’s trial. The man was sitting down to the communal dinner on offer by landlady for all her guests, when Alex was shown into the dining room. Jamieson was present with most of his men at the table, including Langstrom and some others she did not recognise. As it was expected of them at the arrival of a lady into the room, the men rose to their feet and offered polite greeting, which Alex returned, before she turned her attention to Jamieson.

"What can I do for you ma’am?" He inquired as he stepped away from the table.

"May I speak to you outside Marshal?" She asked, feeling a little intimidated by all the eyes on her, not only of his men but also of the other guests presently occupying the table and a rather stiff landlady who was not shy about hiding her dislike for someone closely associated with Vin Tanner.

"Sure." He nodded and led her out onto the hallway, curious as to what she wanted of him. He had not spoken to her since his appearance outside her door when he had come to arrest Tanner that first time in Four Corners and though he had seen her about Tascosa since, the opportunity for conversation had never risen. He knew that she was mostly responsible for the employment of Tanner’s high price lawyer since he had on occasion been to Silver City and knew of Dunwill’s reputation. He had to admire the intelligence of the woman to have hired the best legal mind in the area for Tanner’s defence and supposed that love would do that to most people.

Once in the hallway away from prying eyes, Alex felt herself relax a little although the nature of this visit could never truly put her at ease. Not to mention how he was going to react to her proposal afterwards but Alex believed she had a good sense of the man. Marshal Jamieson as she had learnt was not a shoot first think later kind of peacekeeper and while he almost always brought in his quarry, he had a reputation for bringing them in alive. Jamieson avoided killing in the advent that one of the accused was actually an innocent man, which explained why he had allowed Chris to bring Vin to Tascosa, instead of going after the tracker himself.

"How are you?" He asked full of genuine concern because the feeling he had seen between Tanner and the woman did not indicate any fleeting affair. It must have been difficult for her to be in the town where so many loathed Tanner for the crime he was accused when she loved him.

"I’ve been better." Alex said touched by the inquiry. "Thank you for asking." A small smile of gratitude stole across her features as she responded.

"So what is this about?" He asked once more, sweeping aside the usual civilities and got to the heart of the matter.

"Marshal, I need your help and I don’t know whether or not you will be willing after I tell you why."

Jamieson’s curiosity was properly piqued and gestured to the door leading out of the house since it sounded that what needed discussing might be best spoken of in privacy without anyone eavesdropping. They walked down the hall and stepped out into the night air. As most things were in Texas, the air outside was hot and dry and Alex felt a most profound longing to be home in Four Corners at that moment.

"Well ma’am," Jamieson leaned against the post of the side porch of the house. "What have you got to tell me?"

Alex took a deep breath. "Marshal, do you believe Vin is guilty of murdering Kincaid?"

Jamieson shrugged, not liking the question put forward to him and chose the stock standard answer he gave in such circumstances. "It ain’t my place to say ma’am."

"I know it isn’t." Alex sighed, unsurprised by the answer but she was a woman determined. "But I’m not asking you as Federal Marshal or someone appointed by the court, I am asking you, Buford T Jamieson, private citizen. Do you think he is guilty?"

She made an interesting argument and Jamieson could not deny that it was hard to separate himself from the job. He searched himself for the answer and tried to force away baser instincts to remain neutral and detached from the case. However, he could not deny that aspects of this entire affair had bothered him from the beginning. If Tanner was the killer than he was the greatest performer Jamieson had ever seen to pull the wool over so many eyes that they would die to protect him. There was nothing in the man’s background to indicate that level of duplicity even if he had been a bounty hunter once. Finally, the answer escaped him, like the rising stench of fumes from foul water.

"No, I don’t think he is." He finally admitted and saw her let out a visible sigh of relief, almost as if she had been holding her breath.

"That’s something anyway," she nodded and then spoke again. "I think Amanda Kincaid might be responsible for the murder."

Jamieson’s eyes widened but he held the scepticism that threatened to seeped into his face at bay. "Why?" He asked instead.

Alex explained the entire situation to him, starting from Amanda’s visit to the jailhouse to Vin and her expression of sorrow at his apprehension, right down to the compassion shown to the lover of her husband’s killer and the awful scars that Alex had glimpsed on her body. She related to Jamieson, Amanda’s confession of spousal abuse and saw by his expression that he understood better than Chris and the others, how terrible such a crime was upon the victim, the emotional scars it left behind. Alex supposed than during his time as a Federal Marshal he must have seen crimes like this before. Alex revealed her suspicions about Ely Joe and watched as his scepticism wavered enough to consider it. Jamieson said nothing until she had concluded her case and when she was done, Alex held her breath in anticipation of his response.

"You’re going to have a hard time proving it." He answered finally.

"I know," Alex nodded in agreement but there was more to this meeting than just to voice her suspicions about Amanda Kincaid. "But I think I can with your help."

"My help?" Jamieson’s brow shot up in reaction. "How?"

"I have an idea," Alex replied after a moment, preparing the recital she had played inside her head throughout her journey here. She had to convince him, there was no other choice. "I just need to you to be present as a witness."

"A witness?" He looked at her.

"You’re a Federal Marshal and if need be, your testimony can stand up in a court of law. I am hoping that if what I propose is successful, it will not be come to that."

Alex outlined her plan and Jamieson had to marvel at its simplicity, even if it was a long shot. However, the little lady was a doctor which meant she was plenty smart, not to mention she loved her man enough to be very certain of what she was doing. Jamieson could understand why Alex believed what she did about Amanda Kincaid. If even half of what Alex had described to him was true, then it was very possible that Amanda’s complicity in the murder of her husband ran deeper than they all had suspected.

  
He had seen enough women in prison to know that what Amanda had been driven to do were not uncommon. Men who raped and beat women were animals who would have been that way no matter what age it was, no matter how high born or dirt poor their origins. The disease that afflicted them had no discrimination.

"Alright Doc," Jamieson finally agreed, wanting to help if there was a miscarriage of justice in process. "What’s your plan?"

* * *

While gunfire continued to erupt out side an intermittent intervals, the exchange of ammunition detracted the men defending the Patterson ranch from a far more intense confrontation taking place inside the main house, between the respective commanders of both opposing camps. Unfortunately for Caleb Patterson, it would appear that for the moment, that Chris Larabee had the advantage.

The gunslinger stared at defeated enemy with steely eyes, having won the physical battle and was now waging a mental confrontation. His guns were aimed at Patterson and the two lackeys with him, unwavering in its determination to impress upon them the reality of their situation so that they would remember their place. Outside, a gun battle was still raging and while victory could go either way during this juncture of the combat with the possibility that Chris might himself in the on the losing end, he was still in the position to kill them before help arrived.

Chris checked on his friends’ progress in their advance towards the main house by taking an occasional glimpse out the window. He could see that the plan was being followed in accordance with his instructions with Buck and JD drawing most of fire from Patterson’s men, offering a second layer of distraction on top of the one he provide while Nathan and Ezra crept up behind them. The healer and the southern were moving stealthily through the dark as they slipped into position in order to get a drop on all the guns standing against them. Josiah in the meantime, would be covering their advance, protecting them as they attempted to diffuse the situation without killing if all possible.

As the rest of his friends played their parts in the unfolding drama, Chris had his own role to fulfil. While Patterson had gone a long way to convince Chris that he was innocent of killing Kincaid, it still did not explain why Patterson was so determined to see Vin swing. It should make no difference to man who was responsible for the crime if he had nothing to do with. A small glimmer of hope inside Chris prayed that the answer might be something they could use to exonerate the tracker of the murder charge. The reason had to be compelling, Chris had told himself because the rancher had been driven to kill them all as well attempting to incite his neighbours into a frenzy so they would become the instrument which would lynch Vin Tanner.

So far, Patterson had not volunteered any information. The two men with him remained close mouthed themselves, mostly because Chris suspected they knew nothing about the situation any way. They had taken to aiming hateful glares at him for the injuries inflicted but could do no more than that as they sat on the floor near Patterson, nursing their wounds and trying to hide their fear. Despite their best efforts, Chris could see through their mask of indifference to tell that they were apprehensive because their fear was palpable.

"What do you boys do?" Chris inquired, regarding them for a moment while he took his attention from Patterson temporarily.

"None of your damn business." Patterson barked in response.

"I ain’t talking to you," Chris shifted his gaze enough to send a scalding glare at the man that silenced him immediately before he added with equal icy deliberation, "yet."

Patterson licked his lips in anxiousness, unable to comprehend how the tables had turned so quickly but remained silent, not daring to provoke the man who could easily fill him full of lead for past insults offered already. .

"I’m just a cowhand." The younger of the two answered nervously, perhaps attempting to take Chris’ attention away from his employer. Chris had put a bullet through his hand and he was still clutching the wounded appendage as it remained wrapped in the rapidly saturating coat he had used to stem the bleeding. He stared up at the gunslinger, trying to hide his fear or the gun that was pointed squarely at him. Nevertheless, Patterson was still his boss and the young man felt obligated to defend him, even against this predatory looking stranger.

"I thought so," Chris nodded and then announced to both men to put their mind at ease even though such claims had very little effect when being delivered from the end of a stranger’s gun. "I ain’t gonna hurt either of you. That’s not what I am here for. I just want some answers from your boss here."

"I ain’t gonna tell you nothing." Patterson hissed defiant from his position on the chair.

Without warning, Chris kicked his foot into the centre of the man’s chest, pushing him backward with such force that he tipped onto the rear legs of his chair before toppling him over completely. Patterson let out a small cry of fright as the chair slammed into the floor with a loud thud. Both cowhands reacted enough to display a surge of bravery as they moved slightly towards Chris. However, he ended that threat quickly when he cocked his gun in their direction, driving back to their seated positions once more with cold stare.

"Don’t." He uttered a single word warning that more than enough to sent them promptly into retreat without any further resistance.

Once Patterson had recovered enough from his fall, Chris circled the space where the chair had landed, watching dispassionately as the man groaned in pain because his head had hit the hard surface of the polished wooden floor upon impact. The injury Chris was certain, was more to his pride than any physical wounds but Chris was not above inflicting those if Patterson did not start cooperating. He would have answer or he would Patterson’s head. Chris reserved the right to put that picture in the rancher’s head until later, if the man continued his resistance..

"You son of a bitch." The man snarled as Chris dropped to the floor next to the rancher. Resting his weight on his haunches, Chris still maintained his aim of both guns at the occupants of the room to accommodate his new position.

"Now," Chris said growing impatient with the wait and looked at Patterson with a glint of his eye that indicated that any further protestations was going to be made at extreme risk to his life. "Start talking before I start shooting things off." He cocked his gun pressed the barrel hard against the man’s shoulder. "I got enough experience with these things to know where to shoot a man so he don’t die straight out. I can fill you full of lead without you ever being in danger of kicking off on me." Chris smiled chillingly.

"You wouldn’t dare!" Patterson roared in outrage and rising terror which was soon quashed when he saw Chris’ finger tightening around the trigger.

"Shoulder first," Chris continued his threat. "Then maybe lower." He dropped his gaze to the man’s solid gut.

"I didn’t kill Kincaid!" Patterson screamed defiantly, still clinging to the last remnants of stubbornness and pride as he made a last ditch effort to reason with a crazy man. Unfortunately, the effort might have proved successful if he had actually be dealing with a crazy man, which Chris was not and therefore he remained unmovable in his purpose despite Patterson’s frantic words.

Chris could tell simply by the wide eye look on his face that Patterson was near breaking point. He was fast approaching the place that Chris needed him to be; confident that once the rancher crossed that vital threshold, there would no longer be any secrets between them.

"I didn’t say he did." Chris responded to Patterson’s cry. "That wasn’t my question. Tell me what I want to know." Chris repeated himself again, putting enough pressure on the finger around the trigger to send one of his men into panic.

"Tell him Boss!" One of the men on the floor suddenly erupted, fear etched in their faces as they watched their employer teetering on the brink of death at the end of the lawman’s gun. "It can’t matter now!"

"No!" Patterson cried desperately, using the last reserves of courage that remained inside of him.

Chris responded by pulling the trigger. The explosion of sound sent shudders of fright through the two men before him and pulled a terrified scream from Patterson at the discharge. The bullet blew a small hole in the space not far from Patterson’s shoulder, digging into the wood and sending splinters in all directions. Any closer and the man would not merely be picking pieces of wood from his shoulder but rather led. Needing no further incentive, his cry of fright proceeded a long string of words that started spewing from his lips without pause.

"I couldn’t help it!" Patterson wailed terrified as he stared frantically at Chris with nothing less than terror in his eyes and no illusions that Chris was bluffing. "You gotta understand Larabee, my stock was dying! Everything I built on this land was starting to disappear before my eyes! I had to do something! Kincaid let us use his water at first, he wasn’t dumb. He made us believed that he was being neighbourly when all the time he was sinking his claws deeper and deeper into us! By the time we knew what was happening it was too late! We had no choice but to pay him his money. He bled us dry!"

Chris could well believe a man who would enjoy brandishing his power over his wife by brutalising her to the point of madness would take as much relish in being in a similar situation with those around him. Particularly when they were men like Patterson, ranchers and land owners who were not used to being supplicants. Kincaid would have milked the moment for all it was worth; unaware that one could only push people so far before they began pushing back. Ironically for Kincaid, the man never anticipated that the wife he had supposedly cowed into submission was the one person who would break him.

"Go on." Chris said calmly, deciding that they were now getting to the heart of the truth that Patterson was so resistant about revealing to him prior to this.

"I tried to buy him out but he refused." Patterson continued, anger and frustration etched in his face as he remembered how desperately he had implored to Kincaid to be reasonable. "Then he upped the price on the water. He knew that I had it to pay so he pushing and pushing, until it got so bad that I would have had to let men go just to make the payment. I wasn’t going to do that."

"He wasn’t no saint Mister." The young cowhand declared, trying to help his boss past that difficult revelation.

"I don’t care about Kincaid," Chris answered. "I just want to know why you were out to have my friend hanged. He didn’t kill Kincaid but he’s going to die for it."

"I couldn’t have any questions asked," Patterson asked. "Because to this day I don’t know whether or not I am responsible for Kincaid dying."

Chris stared at him, unable to decide whether or not the man was formulating a new strategy. "How can you not know if you had someone killed?" The gunslinger demanded, uncertain for the first time. "You either did or you didn’t."

"I don’t know because I paid someone to kill Kincaid the day before!" He shouted, revealing the secret he had locked inside of him for so many years, trying to live with his conscience and realising with sadness after he had sent those men after Tanner’s friends, how easy it was to have someone killed after that first time. "I couldn’t take any more so I hired a man to do it and paid him in advance. He said he was going to get it done and when Kincaid showed up dead, it looked like he done it until I found out that Tanner was the man responsible."

"Vin didn’t do it," Chris replied, understanding at last what fear had driven Patterson to behave as he had. He had hired someone to kill Jesse Kincaid but unfortunately, the paid assassin had been usurped by Ely Joe when the man killed his quarry in order to frame Vin. "Ely Joe killed Kincaid. He paid some men to kill Vin a couple years ago and just as much admitted it before he died."

"Then…." Patterson started to realise. "The man I hired really didn’t do it?"

"No," Chris shook his head in answer and was mildly surprised to see Patterson’s face draining with relief. The man was honestly glad that he had not been responsible for the murder that had tainted his actions for the last three years. "Ely Joe killed Kincaid."

"But you said Jesse’s wife had something to do with it." Patterson pointed out, suddenly liberated by his confession.

Chris did not answer for a moment because he had prayed that Patterson would give him something he could use to free Vin but now it appeared that no such miracle would take place. His heart sank knowing that proving Vin’s innocence would almost be impossible. If Alex was right and Amanda Kincaid was truly responsible of inciting Ely Joe to murder her husband, then proving it would be beyond Chris Larabee’s ability to accomplish.

And he would see Vin hang knowing that he had failed his best friend.

* * *

Light poured through the open shop window of Amanda’s Sewing Circle and drew Alex and Marshal Jamieson towards it like fires flies attracted by the glow of a campfire. Both had outlined the plan and how it should be executed and knew that was no reason to put off the task that lay before them. It was never going to be easy in any shape of form to perpetrate the feat of magic they were attempting to do but a man’s life hung in the balance and thus there was no choice but to attempt it anyway. Alex told herself once more as they approached the front door that led to the innards of the small business that it was for the greatest good that she was doing this.

Telling herself that and knowing it were too different things.

She did feel intensely guilty for what she was about to do, almost as potently as Amanda obviously felt about maintaining her silence when Vin was being held for the murder she was responsible, in the jailhouse not too far away from her shop. Amanda Kincaid was not a bad person and Alex swore to herself that if everything transpired according to plan and Alex’s aim was achieved, she was going to do everything in her power to keep Amanda from undergoing the ordeal to follow alone. Amanda had been driven to this because no one would help her. Alex was determined that she was not faced with a repeat once things were set into motion. Dunwillhad proven himself an able lawyer and Alex was certain that he could find a loophole for Amanda, at least on the grounds of extreme physical cruelty by Jesse that had forced her to take the only chance of escape available to her at the time.

"You ready?" Jamieson asked as they prepared to enter the premises.

Alex nodded feeling butterflies in her stomach and tried to force the uneasiness away because she needed to be absolutely composed if this thing were to play out the way it was meant to. She met his gaze with an expression of anxiousness before taking a deep breath and expelled the emotion when she told herself that she was doing this for Vin. Beyond that, nothing else should penetrate, no matter how much sympathy or compassion she might feel for Amanda Kincaid.

"I’m fine." She answered, her words dripping with indifference she did not really feel. She hated this whole thing and only wished it to be over and done with.

Jamieson could see her distaste for the situation and found himself eager to undertake the task just to be able to put behind him once it was done. He opened the door for her and Alex swept inside the shop first, with Jamieson following her once she had cleared the entrance way.

Alex had no idea how to proceed as she entered the room and saw Amanda emerging from the back room. The woman stiffened immediately at the sight of Jamieson behind her and if it was possible, she became even more impassive than ever. Without even seeing the accusation in her eyes, Alex could feel it and the same surge of intense guilt resurfaced inside the doctor’s psyche as she once again, questioned what she was about to do and quickly came to the realisation that this was the only way to save Vin.

"Hello Amanda." Alex greeted even though there was no warmth in this room, not any more.

"Alex." She said quietly, aware that something dark and terrible was inching past the boundaries of her mind, driving straight into her soul. "What can I do for you?"

"I’m afraid I made Miss Styles bring me here," Jamieson spoke up, taking control of the situation and sparing Alex the need to explain what was happening. "We need to talk Mrs Kincaid."

"What about?" She asked, trying to sound natural however, Alex could see the anxiety starting to flood into her eyes.

Jamieson let out a breath as he recalled the prepared speech that he and Alex had devised prior to coming here. If he had been unconvinced by Alex’s words before this, the fear he saw in Amanda Kincaid’s eyes now told him that perhaps the doctor was right. The poor widow looked at him as if she were a helpless animal caught in a hunter’s sights and knew that it was an expression he had seen on many criminals, coming to grips with their capture. "Almost two years ago, I was responsible for the capture of the outlaw named Ely Joe." Jamieson began watching Amanda’s expression to see if there were any signs of recognition.

The flicker was slight but enough to prove that he was known to her. Even Alex was able to see that the name shook Amanda’s resolve as if hearing it aloud had some strange power over her that she could not endure. Jamieson did not wait for her to speak or respond to his statement, particularly when there was expression enough in her face and thus continued with his rehearsed speech. "I wanted to bring him in alive but Ely Joe was a tough customer. In the end, I had to kill him."

"He was not a good man," Amanda’s voice had become a low whisper and it stabbed at Alex with more emotion than it should to see that sorrow in her eyes as she stood on the periphery of disaster like Ophelia preparing to die. "You did what you had to."

"I kept telling the Marshal that you could not possibly have anything to do with an animal like Ely Joe," Alex spoke up, playing her part of the deception she and Jamieson were conspiring to use upon Amanda. They were manipulating poor Amanda’s emotions and fears like expert puppet masters and made Alex feel all the more loathsome for it. "However, he was most insistent on being brought here to meet you."

Whether or not Amanda believed her was something Alex could not say for certain but the widow merely nodded and turned her attention back to Jamieson. "What does this have to do with me?"

"Quite a bit ma’am." Jamieson with his stern, authoritarian voice which Alex had been on the receiving end of once and knew how intimidating it could be when applied in this way. "I went through Ely Joe’s things after he died, mostly to see if anything could be sent to his family. Appears he had none."

"He only had a father." Amanda whispered, dropping her gaze to the floor, no longer able to meet Jamieson’s eyes. "He died years ago."

"That’s what we figured out later," Jamieson continued, convinced now that the woman knew Ely Joe a great deal more than what local gossip was able to manage. "Anyway, there wasn’t much that was fit to leave to anyone once we went through it, except this letter." He reached into his thick coat and produced a worn envelope that had browned over time. Jamieson made no attempt to hand it to Amanda for her perusal, keeping a firm grip on the folded piece of paper that further deepened Amanda’s growing dread of discovery.

"It was never delivered and we figured he must have been carrying it for some time. Its addressed to you ma’am, care of your old place out of town." He replied, watching closely for her reaction.

"To me?" Amanda stammered, not understanding. "Why would it be addressed to me?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that ma’am." The marshal probed deeper, aiming his question with skills that Dunwill would have been proud to own, Alex thought. Amanda had taken a step backwards as if the enormity of what he was suggesting was becoming too much for her to endure. "I didn’t think much of it at first because there about a million Amanda’s in this country and then I heard Doctor Styles here tell me that your name was Amanda."

"Tell him its just coincidence," Alex exclaimed, hoping she sounded convincing to the terrified widow whose eyes looked as if her entire world was crumbling before her as Jamieson continued his interrogation. A part of Alex almost wished that Amanda would irrefutably deny what the Marshall was implying, even if it meant disastrous repercussions for Vin but she knew with total confidence that Amanda could not deny it. Every fibre of her being told Alex that she was right, that Amanda Kincaid had been the instrument of her husband’s death.

"Amanda, tell him." Alex urged quietly, holding her breath to see what the woman would do.

Amanda looked at Alex with the eyes of a cornered animal. She was losing her battle to remain composed and knew that to relent was to invite her own doom to come for her after three years of sleepless nights and dreading the moment when she was finally discovered. Yet as Jamieson stared at her with his penetrating gaze, looking through her as if she were made of glass as if he knew everything, Amanda knew not what else to do. She loved her life, what she had of it now and she would hate to lose it but these past few days had been gnawing her insides with guilt.

"It’s just a coincidence." She stammered, still clinging to whatever vestige of control she had left. "I never knew Ely Joe."

"Ma’am," Jamieson countered immediately, almost as if he were expecting this answer. In truth, he was but his response was part of a play written before he had arrived here and faced this tragic woman, who in her eyes convinced him with more certainty that he ever thought possible that she had indeed been the elusive architect of Jesse Kincaid’s death. "The letter was addressed to you and it sounds to me like something that a man might write to someone he loves and cares about. Looks like he thought a lot about what was in it."

"How could he?" Amanda cried out, staring at Jamieson as she heard the words knowing that they were a lie. They had to be! That night had meant nothing! It was an exchange of services, almost clinical in its efficiency! "He didn’t care about anything in his life! Ely Joe was a murderer! Just ask anyone around here who knew him! He didn’t care for me! He didn’t even know me, not really!"

"What do you mean Amanda?" Alex asked, feeling like a part of wolf pack closing in on a helpless and wounded creature, preparing to feed on her weakness for their own ends. She forced away the disgust and told herself again that this was for Vin. She had to do it. "Did you know Ely Joe?"

"Yes," Amanda nodded, tears staring to run down her cheeks. "He remembered me from school. He thought I was pretty."

  
"When did you meet him again Amanda?" Jamieson continued, taking the secondary part of the two pronged attack.

"I didn’t!" She began to cry, fighting off their words, feeling it sink into her bones like fire, burning away all the lies that she had been telling these past three years. They were getting to the naked truth of it now and she could not stop it.

"But you said...."

"I know what I said!" Amanda cried out. "It ain’t true! I never meant anything to him! Not a damn thing! He said liked how I smelled and it had been a long time since he’d been with a woman. He wouldn’t have written that letter to me because he never came back after!"

And there it was, the admission that both Alex and Jamieson had been waiting hear.

Alex let out a sigh of relief as the words escaped the fragile woman when all the walls were finally torn down after three years of anguish and guilt. It spilled forth in a torrent of emotion from the dam she had been building inside her for so many days and nights. For so long, Amanda had kept it inside her, the hurt and abuse of marriage to Jesse Kincaid, then silent agonies of her life as no one could understand the perennial sadness that was always in her eyes. She buried away feeling and hope, allowing none of it to surface until one night when Ely Joe, notorious outlaw found himself on the doorstep of the Kincaid homestead.

"After what?" Alex forced herself to ask even though she knew that they had pushed Amanda far enough over the edge to reveal the rest of her tale. The doctor cringed inwardly; hating herself for she was doing to this tortured woman who should have been helped not trapped like an animal to reveal her secrets.

However, if Amanda felt any enmity towards Alexandra Styles, she did not show it. The words that escaped her had a strangely liberating effect and the balloon inside her chest, growing turgid and pressing against the walls of her soul had deflated. The feeling was numbing and that was just how Amanda liked to feel, numb. In that state of limbo, nothing could hurt her, not Jesse, not even the consequences of her complicity in his death. She had three years of peace and those were as close to heaven as she would ever know She was sorry to lose it but she did not really mind because it had been enough.

"After he killed Jesse." Amanda whispered as she met Alex’s gaze and wondered briefly what it must have been like to love someone and knew that they loved you back. She envied the doctor and felt saddened that she had never known love like that.

"How do you know that ma’am?" Jamieson asked, needing these question answered concisely before he could go to Ritter and tell the man to cut Tanner loose.

"Because I asked him too." She replied listlessly, as if not caring that every word was damning. "He turned up the night before Jesse died," Amanda continued, silent tears rolling down her cheeks as she made her confession and could not understand how something that ought to be difficult was flowing from her with such ease.

Alex found her breath catch with each word that Amanda spoke, hearing the loud turning of a key inside her head as the woman told her story to Jamieson and her. Alex took a step forward and held Amanda’s hand in a gesture of friendship and understanding, wishing the widow to know that no matter what her crime, Alex was not going to abandon her. She was surprised when Amanda offered her a warm smile and squeezed back.

"He said his horse had thrown a shoe and that he needed a place to stay for the night." Amanda replied, recalling the events clearly in her head since she had played them in her head almost every night following Jesse’s death and more than that in recent days ever since Vin Tanner was brought into town. She wished she could be devoid of conscience but Amanda was allowed no such luxury. "Jesse wasn’t too sure about it at first cause he thought Ely Joe was one of Patterson’s men. Caleb Patterson had been trying to buy the place for months and when Jesse wouldn’t sell up, he got pretty nasty."

This part of the story Alex knew already from the man’s attempts to kill Chris and the others, not to mention how he had tried to have Vin lynched the day the tracker had arrived in Tascosa. Much of what Amanda was telling them did not surprise her much, she expected something of the like even though the details were vague. She could see Jamieson absorbing every word, committing it to memory in order to relay the specifics to Sheriff Ritter when it was time for Vin to be released. Just the thought of that alone made this entire episode bearable because the guilt stabbing at her was almost as terrible as what Amanda must have surely be enduring now as she made herself accountable.

"I changed his mind and said that I knew Ely Joe from school, even though I didn’t tell Jesse exactly who he was. He had supper with us that night and as usual, Jesse drank too much so by the time it came for bed, he was more or less passed out from the liquor." Amanda quivered remembering how peacefully Jesse had lapsed into slumber on his favourite chair, half empty bottle of the moonshine he brewed still in his hands when she took it away.

"I knew he wouldn’t wake up and Ely Joe thanked me for covering up for him." She swallowed the lump in her throat as she moved onto the next part of her story, hoping they would not judge her too harshly for what she had done later that night. She held Alex’s hand even tighter, grateful that the doctor was offering friendship even now, even though by her actions Amanda had almost condemned the man she loved to die.

Well she was changing that now.

"He liked me, I could see that much." She continued after she had composed herself. "And I didn’t want to make trouble because he could kill both me and Jesse if he took it in his mind to so I let him touch me." Even though the event was years in the past, Amanda shuddered at his touch on her skin and remembered how different the entire experience had been in contrast to her intimacies with Jesse. "It wasn’t as bad as Jesse, I think Ely Joe even tried to make it better for me but he didn’t realise until he saw the scars later I’d been hurt before. He said something like how a man who did that to a woman shouldn’t be fit to live…" Her voice faltered then because when he said those words, she  _knew_.

Even though she had never actually come out and told him to do it, Amanda knew he was going to kill Jesse simply because she would be better off without him and to her shame, Amanda had said nothing to stop him.

"I didn’t stop him when he said that," Amanda’s voice had become a soft whisper. "He just knew without me even needing to say it that I wanted Jesse dead. All he did was tell me to leave the next morning and don’t come until late. He said he had something else to take care of anyway and Jesse would do just as well any other." She blinked and fresh tears rolled down her reddened cheeks. "You know, I really think he wanted to help me too. I never had a man do that for me so I guess when it came out that Jesse was dead, I couldn’t bring myself to say it was Ely Joe."

"Ma’am," Jamieson found his voice. "A man has spent the last three years with a murder charge hanging over him. He didn’t do nothing to you or to Jesse, it wasn’t right to keep that silent."

"I know," she nodded, unable to deny that her thoughts had been focussed on that very issue for a long time, with far more depth than his words could ever manage to express. "I’m sorry Alex," Amanda looked at her. "You’ve been good to me even though you knew I held something back."

"I can’t imagine what you went through Amanda." Alex answered her immediately. "If it was me in your position, I can’t say I would have acted differently. You did the best you could to survive Jesse, no one will judge you for that."

"But they will judge me for being part of Jesse’s murder, won’ they?" She said soberly and stared at Jamieson as she asked that question. "I didn’t come out and tell Ely Joe to kill Jesse but I might as well have. He wouldn’t have done if it wasn’t for his knowing how Jesse treated me."

"Ma’am," Jamieson said sombrely, "I need you to come down to the jailhouse with me." He tried to be gentle but an innocent man was sitting in a cold, dank cell in which he had no business being. He felt sorry for this widow and wished she could be spared the trials to follow but this was something there was never going to be any avoiding once she had revealed herself.

"I understand." She nodded, disengaging herself from Alex. "Do you think I could have a moment alone?" She asked the lawman as she glanced down at her apparel. "I’d like to change into some fresh clothes before I go out and get a few things together if that’s all right."

"Of course it is." Alex replied quickly before catching Jamieson’s eye to impart upon him what possible harm could be caused by allowing the lady a moment to herself. Besides, it would be the last time Amanda would be in her shop for quite a while once she admitted her guilt to Ritter and was taken into custody.

"Sure thing ma’am," Jamieson agreed with the doctor’s assessment and wanted to spare her any more humiliation than was necessary. By morning, everyone in Tascosa was going to learn about Amanda Kincaid’s complicity in her husband’s death and the sordid details of her encounter with Ely Joe. There would be vicious gossip and nasty whispers behind closed doors but the truth would still be there like the morning mist after a stormy night.

  
"Thank you," Amanda said gratefully and withdrew into the backroom.

* * *

The mood was less than exuberant when the six lawmen returned to Tascosa after their evening’s adventure at the Patterson homestead. They had all gone there in the hopes that some news would be garnered from their interrogation of the rancher to help them exonerate Vin Tanner once and for all but with the confession they had received from Patterson himself, that hope faded further and further away into the depths. It now looked as if Vin would indeed go to trial and it was a gamble if he would walk away from the proceedings with his life. No one was in the mood for talking with the pall of that hanging over their heads and Chris in particular, was in a black mood.

The weather had broken on the journey back and rain had started to teem to the ground, washing away the sweat accumulated from the humidity of the day’s ride from all their skins. Chris wanted nothing more than to drown his sorrows in a good bottle of whisky and felt it permissible if he allowed himself to get blind stinking drunk tonight and then tackle the problem of Vin’s situation tomorrow once more. Now that it rested with Amanda Kincaid, Chris would need to reformulate his strategy. As the dim lights of the town became evident in the distance, Chris wished he were riding home to Four Corners, not some drab town in the middle of the Panhandle. In Four Corners, the light was a beacon for home and all things warm and happy about his life. In Tascosa, it just meant that death was coming for his best friend and Chris could do nothing to stop it.

They rode into town and found the streets quiet for the time of the night. The rain had driven most people indoors and so they were able to ride at a suitable pace down the main street as they headed for the saloon. Each member of the seven was cold and wet and they welcomed the heat a drink would provide before even the enchantment of food and fresh clothes. Chris reached the hitching post first and dismounted, not waiting for the others as he strode down the walkway towards the saloon’s bat wing doors. He knew they would be following him soon enough anyway.

He stepped through the doors and once again the scathing glares and whispers heralded his return amongst them again, although the intensity was slightly less than what it normally was. Chris scanned the room, as instinct often required him to do and realised that there was good reason for the tempering of their hostility towards him. Standing at the bar, creating all kinds of scandalous talk by her presence alone, was Alexandra Styles. A small island had formed around her as people stole furtive glances in her direction over their glasses of beers, wondering what a lady of her ilk, even if was not completely white was doing in this establishment. Even the bartender was watching her with a sombre impression. Chris crossed the floor in matter of seconds and was soon at her side.

On the counter before Alex was a half-empty bottle of whiskey and half filled shot glass. She was staring at it impassively and did not look up when he approached her even though she knew it was him. Instead she continued to fill the glass to its brim and deepened Chris’ concern that something terrible had happened. It was only when she raised the glass to drink did he see the blood that stained her fingers. Splotches of red covered her fingers, her hands and even the cuffs of her sleeve.

"Alex, what’s happened?" Chris asked tautly, not daring to touch her at first because he thought she might be hurt. For a moment, Chris thought that something terrible had happened to Vin but she allayed those fears with her sudden but expressionless voice when she answered.

"Vin will be freed within the hour." Alex responded quietly. She still did not look at him. "Sheriff Ritter’s a little busy at the moment, taking care of some arrangements but Vin should be released soon. All charges against him have been dropped."

"Dropped?" Chris exclaimed, unable to believe her at first, particularly when she was in the state she was presently in. News like this should be a cause for celebration, why was she behaving like this? "Why?"

"Because of this." Alex answered automatically and produced a folded enveloped crusted with blood.

His brow knotted in confusion as he took the paper from her hand, forcing her fingers to relax her grip as he removed it from her. The blood on her fingertips let imprints against the yellowed paper. He unfolded it and read the ungainly hand writing on the paper and discovered that it was contained a verse of poetry, nothing more. However, Chris recognised the handwriting as belonging to Vin Tanner’s. The tracker had learnt to read and write thanks to Mary but his penmanship was still on the level of an eight-year-old.

"What is this?" Chris finally asked not understanding the significance as he noticed the others walking into the saloon. Their faces soon mirrored his own confusion when they noted Alex’s presence and approached stealthily trying to understand what was going on without intruding too much on Chris’ efforts. Buck took the space on the other side of Alex and noticed the blood on her hands and on her clothes.

"Jesus, what’s happened?" He demanded.

"They’re letting Vin go." Chris replied before Alex could answer.

"Letting him go, why?" This came from Nathan, who had joined them. Chris motioned the others to remain silent for a moment, allowing Alex to explain.

"Alex," he put his hand gently on her shoulder. "What does this paper mean?"

"It’s just a poem Vin wrote to me once," she whispered hoarsely. "But Amanda Kincaid thought it was a letter that Ely Joe wrote to her. I had Jamieson go to her and tell her that it was a letter that he found on Ely Joe when he was shot and killed. It made it sound that they were lovers."

"Christ," Buck gasped slowly, unable to believe Alex capable of such duplicity, not to mention Amanda having that kind of connection to Ely Joe. "What happened then?"

"She admitted it was true." Alex swallowed and blinked. Tear rolled down her cheeks as she gazed into something only she could see and Chris felt his heart torn, seeing her like this. It was disconcerting seeing a woman so strong, so wounded. He would feel the same way if it were Mary. To the others, her demeanour sent a chill run down their spines. "Ely Joe was at the Kincaid place the night before Jesse died. He went there to shoe his horse. While he was there Amanda recognised him but didn’t say anything in case Ely Joe decided to kill them both. Kincaid didn’t know who he was so Ely Joe had supper at the house after which Kincaid passed out drunk, Amanda was left alone with him." She did not need to clarify what that meant because the implication spoke for itself.

"You mean the villain forced himself on her?" Ezra exclaimed with disgust.

"No," Alex shook her head. "He didn’t. I think he actually liked her enough to think that he was doing her a favour. He and Amanda spent the night together and he saw the scars left behind from what Kincaid done to her. I think in his own way, Ely Joe he thought he was helping her out by killing Kincaid. He got the body he needed to frame Vin and she was free of the bastard."

"Alex, the blood." Chris urged more concerned about the blood all over her rather than the specifics of her ruse. "Tell me about the blood."

"Relax," she answered mechanically. "Its not mine." She paused a moment and threw her head back as she downed the contents of her glass and resumed speaking. "I thought she had seduced Ely Joe into killing Kincaid for her so I told Jamieson to take this letter and confront her with it, saying that it a letter from Ely Joe. I actually stood there in front of her and told her to prove him wrong, that it couldn’t possibly be true but in the end she did exactly what I hoped she would do, she confessed to the whole thing."

"So Jamieson took her in?" Buck asked feeling some measure of sorrow for the woman but could not help feeling some relief at what this would mean to Vin Tanner.

"After she had told us everything," Alex took a deep breath and her voice started to shudder as she continued speaking and Chris noticed more tears spilling down her cheeks. She stopped a moment trying to compose herself but it was a losing battle. Her control was starting to slip and the more she continued her narration of what had transpired while they were dealing with Patterson, the harder it became to rein in her emotions. He could sense that the liquor was the only thing that was keeping her together at this point. Something terribly ominous was coming at them and he could feel it snaking up his spine like tendrils of ice.

"After she told us everything," Alex cleared her throat and began again. "She asked for a moment alone and I told Jamieson there was no harm in letting her have it since he was taking her to the jailhouse. I didn’t want her to suffer any more than she was going to." She wiped her tears from her cheeks but they were soon replaced by more and Alex gave up altogether trying to stem the tide. "She went into the back room of her little shop where we had tea this morning and wrote herself a nice letter of confession, putting everything she had told us on paper. It was all very neat. She even wrote something in there about being sorry for everything she put Vin through."

"Oh Christ…." Chris started to say, realising at last what was coming.

"Then she put a gun to her head we didn’t know she had and killed herself."

"Oh my god." Nathan gasped, the healer’s face twisted into an expression of horror and dismay that was soon shared by the others as well.

"By the time Jamieson and I reached her, it was too late." Alex started to breathe heavily as if the pain was more than she could take and the effort to keep from breaking down became too much. "I wanted Vin freed so badly, I was willing to do anything to have her tell the truth about what she knew."

"Miss Alex." Nathan spoke firmly, the healer pushing himself between her and Buck. He made her face him and saw her eyes were almost bloodshot from trying to keep the tears in. "You couldn’t know this was going to happen."

"Yes I did," Alex answered, refusing to allow herself to be relieved of the responsibility for her actions. "I knew she was feeling guilty and I preyed on it. She was so afraid of being discovered, of being trapped again but she was the key. She was the only thing that stood in the way of clearing Vin’s name, so I pushed and pushed. I got Jamieson to help me tear down all those walls she had erected to protect herself, while I stood there pretending to be her friend. I knew what I was doing Nathan," she lifted her eyes to meet his. "I knew I might have been pushing her to far but I couldn’t see past getting Vin out of jail."

"You did it for the very best of intentions Alexandra," Ezra added his voice and hoped that it would help even though he doubted it.

"Yes," she said ruefully. "The very best of intentions."

Chris did not waste time with words. He wrapped his arms around the doctor and drew her close. She did not protest as she buried her face into the crook of his shoulder and started weeping the torrent of tears that had been struggling to break free ever since she had raced into the room and stared in stunned silence at Amanda Kincaid, lying dead on the floor. A pool of crimson was expanding around her head, creating a macabre crown of red in stark contrast to her rapidly darkening blond hair. The gun, a small derringer, was still in her hand, tendrils of smoke rising into the charged air while Amanda’s soulful eyes, so filled with haunting pain, stared into nothingness.

"Its alright," he whispered into her hair as he held her close, looking at his friends, sharing the same shock that they all did, as well as the admiration for what she had done, no matter how tragic the results. "You did what you had to do Alex," he said knowing his words would offer no comfort but then he supposed there was going to be very little that anyone could say that to Alex that would actually give her solace. All they could do was be there for her.

"Just like Amanda did what she had to." Alex swallowed, feeling no better at that realisation.

"Yeah," Chris nodded. "Sometimes, its all anyone of us can do."

He did not know whether that would help but at least it was the truth.

* * *

Vin Tanner knew something was up.

He could not say what for certain and even Josiah who had been entertaining him through the bars of his cell with a deck of cards that Ezra had donated specifically for the purpose, seemed affected by some excitement taking place in the front part of the building. While they could not hear the specifics of the conversation taking place beyond the cell corridor of the jailhouse, the two men could feel a sudden shift in the air.

Earlier, they had heard a single gunshot before Ritter had barked his intention for them to stay put while he went to investigate. Both Vin and Josiah knew that a single gunshot meant trouble because a couple of rowdy customers at the saloon at this time of night would not limit themselves to a single shot. Vin saw Josiah fighting the urge to investigate himself before he finally decided to let the sheriff handle since Tascosa was not their town. The tracker could not blame Josiah for feeling this way, particularly when he was accustomed to being on the other side of the bars instead of waiting judgement for a crime he did not commit. Still, after nearly a week trapped inside the four walls of this tiny dungeon, Vin had to admit he was a little more accustomed to the place then his first night here.

He knew that part of the reason that his spirits had lifted was because Alex was here in Tascosa. Although he could not see her, just knowing that she was in the same town was more of a tonic than anything else that had transpired since his incarceration began. However, he could not forget that he would never have made it through his confinement if it were not for his six friends, who ensured that he was never completely alone throughout his entire tenure enduring Sheriff Ritter’s hospitality.

"What do you think is going on?" Vin asked laconically as they continued playing.

"In this town, who knows." Josiah remarked, discarding a card from his hand and disapproving at what he had picked up to replace by the furrow in his heavy brow.

Both were mutually silent men who said little at the best of times and so they continued this was for a few more minutes, not voicing their curiosity at what was taking place beyond the walls of this human cage. However, their desire to know was satisfied by the arrival of Sheriff Ritter and Marshall Jamieson. Both men appeared at the head of the corridor, with an expression on their faces that immediately put the two men from Four Corners on guard. Instincts kicked in and Vin dropped his cards on the make shift table Josiah had fashioned with a flat piece of board and rose to his feet, expecting the worst. Josiah remained seated but his attention was also fixed on the men coming towards them.

Ritter was carrying the keys to the cell and for a moment, Vin did not understand what was happening because it seemed too unreal after everything he had to live with for the past three years when Ritter paused at the cell door and started unlocking it. The look in the man’s eyes was pained and Vin wondered what on earth had happened.

"You’re free to go Tanner." Ritter announced somewhat hoarsely. "Amanda Kincaid has signed a confession that Ely Joe was at the Kincaid place the night before Jesse died and that admitted she put him up to having Jesse killed."

For a moment, it did not register.

After three years of living with the spectre with of Jesse Kincaid hanging over his head, dogging his every move in any decision he wanted to make with his life, the idea that he was free to go was more than he could handle. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to keep his cool, unflappable demeanour in place instead of submitting to the emotion of intense relief he felt at finally hearing that this nightmare that began the day he found Kincaid’s body was finally over.

Fortunately, Josiah was more composed to answer. "Mrs Kincaid just decided to confess?"

"Well no," Jamieson spoke up then; reluctant to give the answer to that question considering what had happened. "You lady friend came up with an interesting way of getting her to confess and she did. Seems Mrs Kincaid and Ely Joe were a lot friendlier than we knew. She confirmed that he was there and then she put him up to killing Kincaid."

"I know he treated her badly." Vin managed to say. "Are you gonna lock her up?" It distressed the tracker intensely to imagine such a fragile creature behind the bars of a cell not unlike the one he was presently trapped within. Considering how her husband had treated her, it was not Amanda’s fault she had been driven to murder.

"We can’t," Ritter replied unable to meet Vin’s gaze and there was something in his voice that made the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "She killed herself right after she wrote and signed the confession."

"Oh Jesus…" Vin muttered, closing his eyes at the news, feeling shards of pain he had no idea mirrored Alex’s own agonies when she had discovered Amanda’s body shortly after the bullet destroyed everything the lady had been or would ever be. Vin was still reeling from the news, replaying the image of that poor woman inside his head on the day she came to visit him, wondering what kind of animal would bring pain to such a beautiful woman, when he heard Ritter’s voice again

"Ain’t much I can say to make it right, except that a good woman is dead." The sheriff said before he swung the cell door open. The man seemed just as shaken as Vin about Amanda Kincaid’s death and offered no apology about the wrongful prosecution or the bounty that had followed Vin around for the last three years. Vin did not expect it since the only thing he cared about was the end of the murder charge when he grabbed his buckskin coat and draped it around his shoulder to step out of his cell.

"Good to see you on the right side of the law again brother." Josiah smiled faintly, unable to offer any exuberance than that in light of the circumstances of Vin’s freedom.

"I wish it had gone that good for Mrs Kincaid." Vin said sourly and kept walking, wanting to put Tascosa behind him as quickly as possible.

* * *

The rain had become a fully-fledged downpour when Vin stepped out of the jailhouse. The streets of Tascosa were quiet at this time and he did not even care as the rain battered him senseless with large droplets that soaked him to the skin in a matter of minutes. Josiah had run on ahead, beaconing him to follow but Vin held his ground for a moment and stared at the sky, mesmerised by the droplets coming down from the heavens above. He could see no stars but he smiled knowing that they were up there and he was going to be able to wait them out the next day and the day after that, without being trapped inside a cell.

He did not know how long he was standing there before his hat started to droop in front of his head from saturation but when he finally dropped his gaze from the sky, he found that he was not alone. She stood before him, not too far away but not close enough for him to touch either. Her hair was plastered against her face and even though her skin was wet from the rain, he knew that her cheeks were mostly that way from her tears. They stared at each other for a moment, not daring to spoil the moment with words until he willed himself to move.

When they finally touched, Vin swept Alex up in her arms and embraced the most precious thing in his life before their lips met in a powerful kiss of greeting. For an instant, there was nothing else for Vin but her lips on his, her warmth pressing against his own while forcing away the cold, cold place that had been the world while they had been apart. He had spent so many nights since being pulled away from her in Four Corners, dreaming of this moment, telling himself over and over again that it was not a futile hope but something that would become reality even though there times he believed otherwise. He held her tight in his arms, determined that he would never again let her go with such fierce desire that he did not even realise when her lips had moved from his and she was sobbing into his shoulder.

"Hey Darlin, its okay. We’re okay." He grinned when he put enough space between them so he could look at her, blinking away the rain that was in his eyes.

"Yes we are," she nodded, still crying. "I thought I’d lost you forever." She whispered, happy to see him even though there was a well of grief inside her that had been locked away for the moment because she wanted nothing to spoil the joy of having him back again. After what she had endured tonight, his was the only conclusion that would have made any of it worth the price Amanda Kincaid had paid. Alex pulled him to her again, needing to taste his mouth on hers, needing to feel the closeness of his body to make the pain go away.

Vin sensed the urgency in her kisses but did not question it. Right now, she wanted him to hold her and even if they were in the middle of the pouring rain, hanging on to each other like a couple of lovesick kids, that suited him just fine. He was free and with Alex was in his arms, things did not get much better this.

If all she wanted was for him to hold her right now, Vin could do that because Lord only knew what she had gone through to make his freedom possible.


	10. Homecoming

They were done with Tascosa.

With Vin cleared of all charges of Jesse Kincaid’s murder, there was no reason to remain and in all honesty, none of the party from Four Corners wished to be in Tascosa any longer than they had to be. What happened in this town would be with them for a long time. Vin was liberated but none of them could honestly say that it was done cleanly. With Dunwill remaining in town a few more days to ensure that Ritter and Jamieson submitted the paperwork that would take the bounty off Vin’s head now that the charges of murder were no more, Chris decided that it was time to go home. They had a life in Four Corners that awaited them and he knew that Vin wanted to leave immediately as well. However, the tracker’s reason was mostly because of Alex.

The doctor had said very little to anyone about Amanda Kincaid or how she felt on the matter of the woman’s death. After her initial display of grief, she had buried the rest of her pain inside herself as she did all things and maintained her demenaour of professional detachment. None of the seven thought her any less for her actions, Chris as a matter of record, thought she was the only one to keep her head and do what needed to be done, no matter what the personal cost was to herself. He had a feeling none of them would truly know what the price was, not even Vin. Alex kept her pain to herself; she was one of the most guarded people he knew which was why she and Vin were so good together.

They were so much alike in that respect.

Nettie Wells had already left on the stage for Four Corners, preferring the creature comforts of a Concord as to riding out in the open with a bunch of men. Alex on the other hand had no wish to trapped that way and had opted to travel with Vin. Considering what she had done to aid his release and how close she had come to losing him altogether, none of the seven could begrudge her for wishing to stay close to the sharpshooter. Nettie who frowned slightly in disapproval for as a respectable old matron, she could do nothing else but, kept her comments to herself appreciating that the couple had been through something of a trial during their stay in Tascosa.

As the seven readied their horses at the livery, Alex remained close by having lost all taste for Tascosa and could not wait to depart. Vin knew that there was a part of Alex that would never leave this place. It was trapped here as Amanda Kincaid was trapped in her loveless marriage to Jesse. As Vin saddled Peso and prepared the animal for two, he stared at Alex and for a long while, trying to imagine what it was she was going through at this moment and feeling somewhat guilty because it was for him, she had embarked upon her course. He wanted to help but he did not know how.

"She’ll be okay Vin," Chris said suddenly, catching the tracker’s concerned expression as he stared at his lady.

"I hope so," Vin said softly. "I never wanted her to put herself through this, not for me."

Chris who was in the process of saddling his own black gelding nodded in understanding. "She loves you Vin, sometimes it ain’t a matter of wanting to do something but having no choice. If it were me, I would done it too. Just it was like Amanda Kincaid’s choice to die."

Vin wished it was that easy to accept but it was not and he knew it. "She paid for the funeral, you know." He said turning away from Alex to meet Chris’ eyes as he tightened a buckle on the saddle. "It seems Amanda’s kin left town years ago and no one knew her well enough to make the offer. Said it was the least she could do since no one else gave a damn."

Chris was hardly surprised by that. It just seemed like the kind of thing Alex would do. "It wouldn’t surprise me." Chris answered seeing the extent of Vin’s worry and tried to offer some advice, not that he was the authority on such things but he did know something about guilt. "Vin, she’s hurting but the best thing you can do for her right now is be there. There are some things that have to be taken care of alone. You can’t do it for her. Alex is tougher than most men, she’ll come through this."

"I know," Vin sighed looking at Alex again. The doctor was dressed in riding clothes, loitering about aimlessly as she waited to leave. "I just hate seeing her like this. I thought the day my name was cleared would be the best day of my life but I don’t feel too much like celebrating if Alex is in pain."

"She ain’t gonna be like this forever," Chris reminded. "The sooner we get out of Tascosa, the better off she’ll be." He answered.

That much, Vin knew was certain.

"You ready to go pard?" Chris asked after a moment, securing the last straps on his saddle.

"Hell yeah," Vin answered voicing more enthusiasm than he had previously confessed. He wanted to leave this place once and for all and never think about it again. He only hope that when he and Alex rode away from Tascosa, she could do the same as well.

"Good," Chris nodded. "I’ll so see about the others." The gunslinger remarked, not needing to tell Vin that it was time for him to go get Alex. Even though Chris did not say it out loud, he felt inordinately pleased that Vin was leaving this town with them. He shuddered to think what would have happened if things had not gone the way they had.

Vin left Peso and strode out of the stable, seeing Alex staring into the distance at something only she could see. He need not ask what exactly that was because he had a fair idea of what was occupying her thoughts. Walking up behind her, Vin announced his arrival by sliding his arms around her shoulders and rubbing his cheek against her ear.

"Hey darlin’." He greeted warmly and was encouraged when she leaned back into him and shifted her head slightly so that he could get at her neck. Her entire body seemed to melt against him and for a moment, it seemed that everything would be all right as he kissed the smooth skin tenderly and heard her sigh..

"Hey cowboy." She answered back, feeling so much better when his arm were around her. Vin was the only tonic she knew that could make sense of what had happened the last week in Tascosa. He was only person who could make her bear what she had done. Alex knew he was concerned about her but chose to be evasive any way. She was not certain when she would be ready to talk to him about Amanda but rest assured when the time came, Vin would be the only one to whom she could bare her soul.

"You out here for the scenery or did you want something?" She teased with enough warmth in her voice to convince him that she might come through this ordeal okay.

"Oh I thought I come out here and keep you company some." He nuzzled his cheeks against her hair, delighting in its silky texture. "Now that I’m respectable and all, I’ve got to keep a tighter rein on you." He winked at her and saw her chuckle slightly. It was good to see a smile on her face. Vin wondered how she would have taken it if he had told her that her eyes seemed as haunted as Amanda Kincaid’s had been.

"You can dream...." Alex said sarcastically before her expression melted into that of warmth. "I love you Vin." She said quietly.

"I love you Doc," he said holding her tight and willing his strength into her body so that it might lessen the burden of her guilt. "We’ll get through this," he slipped his arms from around her and made Alex look at him. "I promise you."

Alex wanted to cry as she stared into the depth of those clear blue eyes that until now had been able to drive away any terrible thing that might seek to harm her. How many times had she allowed herself to be drowned in those blue depths knowing that he would always be there for her? "I know we will," she swallowed, trying to keep the emotion from overhwhelming her. "Its just hard to think about...things." She could not even bring herself to say Amanda.

"Then don’t." He ordered. "Let it go until you’re ready and we’ll deal with it together."

Alex embraced him hard, knowing at that instant that no matter how much pain and guilt she felt, he had been worth it. Every sliver of pain she had or would endure over this was a small price to pay in comparison to having this man in her life. Knowing that made it easier to accept and in time, she may even forget.

"Are we ready to go?" She asked finally, aware that the first step to recovery was to leave Tascosa behind forever.

"Yeah," Vin nodded, sensing her urgent desire to depart. "We’re ready."

"Good," she broke away from him and started walking into the livery where Peso was waiting with the rest of the seven. "Let’s get the hell out of here."

* * *

**WARNING: NC17**

 

Buck Wilmington was happy to be home.

The others had kept going towards town and no doubt their number would lessen the closer they reached Four Corners with Vin and Alex most likely breaking off from the main group when they approached the ranch on their way to town. He was pleased things had turned out so well for the tracker but like every member of the seven, his thoughts had been filled with the woman whose sacrifice had cleared Vin Tanner’s name.

Buck had not realised until he saw his home and stepped into the familiar smells of the evening meal, whose delicious scent still lingering in the air from hours ago and the fresh scent of cut flowers, how much he missed being here. It was late into the night and he assumed Inez would be asleep by now. As he acquainted himself with being home, he wondered how she had spent week without him. Finally, he decided to turn in and paused at the nursery on his way to the bedroom, moving quietly through with the stealth acquired from a good many years, sneaking out of homes when a husband made unexpected return home.

Elena lay in her crib, asleep and oblivious to her father’s presence. He watched his daughter slumbering in her cot and reached for her small hand. No sooner than his finger had grazed her palm, she enclosed her tiny fist around it and pulled the digit to her soft lips, identifying it even in sleep that it was something worth suckling. Buck felt his heart leap in his chest as he saw his little girl nursing on his finger, unaware that a smile had stole across his face. He let Elena nibble on his finger tip a little while longer before withdrawing his hand and continuing to the bedroom.

Buck found Inez lying in her bed, comfortably on her side. She was wearing a sheer nightgown but the heat of the night had caused her to force the covers from her skin into a thick bundle at the foot of the bed. He watched her for a long time, thinking about Amanda Kincaid and how her husband had never given her a moment of happiness. Buck did not  _ever_  want Inez to feel that way. He stood at the foot of their bed and watched her for a while, basking in the rise and fall of her breasts under the sheer film of cotton covering her skin. He undressed quietly, discarding all his clothes except for his long johns before slipping into bed. As he settled beside her, she nuzzled closer to him and reacted to his warmth by rolling onto her back. Fluttering her heavy lidded eyes, Inez broke into a dreamy smile as he saw his face above hers.

"When did you get back?" She whispered, happy to see him.

"Just a few minutes ago," he spoke quietly. Both of them were adept enough at being new parents to know that silence was golden with a baby in the house.

"I missed you," she changed position once again so that she was now facing him.

"I missed you too," he said with a smile and covered her mouth with his to initiate his gratitude at being home with more succinct expression.

The kiss sparked the memory of their love making all those months ago which had eventually culminated in the precious bundle now lying asleep in her crib and reminded Inez how sensuous Buck could be and how easy it was for him to bring out so much desire in her. Deep inside, she needed him to touch her again, having longed for the closeness of that night more times than she could count. Inez recalled with warmth how he had made her feel beautiful and loved when they had conceived Elena Rose and despite all the fear and insecurity that followed later, Inez had known at that moment that she loved him and always would. Even though they had been married for almost two months, he had respected her need to recover from the pregnancy and not push her into a physical relationship, unaware that she loved him even more for it. While it was true, she did need the time, Inez could not deny that she had dreamed of being with him again, to run her fingers through his dark hair and feel his lips against her own.

Buck felt his heart quicken as she allowed him to continue. Sliding on top of her, he looked into her eyes and saw the naked lust for him that waited for him. A surge of excitement course through him and centred on his cock at the anticipation of sinking into her warmth depths. Even now, just the feel of her soft, warm body pressing against his hardened Buck beyond belief. He had dreamed so many nights of pleasuring her once again, that now moment was here, he wanted everything to be perfect for her.

Buck knew that the reason he had the success he did with women was mostly due to his determination to make them feel as if they were more to him then just a night’s occupation. In his own way, Buck had tried to make every woman he bedded come away from the evening feeling loved. However, with Inez it was real and when he had made love to her that first time, the experience had been mind shattering for both of them.

Love mingled with desire, raw and feral was a deadly combination.

"You are beautiful," he whispered in her ear as he lowered his lips to her neck while his hands explored her body and felt Inez respond immediately to his touch. For a few minutes, Buck did nothing but glide his hands over her body, exploring every inch of dusky skin and heightening his pleasure knowing that she trusted him enough to let him love her this way. He nuzzled on the soft skin of her ear lobe, extracting a pleasured sigh from her lips as his tongue teased the tender flesh, until he could feel her pushing harder against him, until the full length of his erect cock was pressing into her belly. The sensation of that was enough to make Buck bite down harder, forcing him to remain focused on what he was doing.

Inez shuddered as he felt his teeth on her skin, alternating between gentle nips on her neck to moist laving by his tongue. Her fingers dug into his back as the sensation coursed throughout her body, sending shivery tendrils of tingly delight awakening every nerve in her body. Her palms ran over the smooth silk of his biceps, circling the curve of shoulder before sliding down the crest of his back and reaching the firm muscles of his rear. She squeezed the flesh in her hands and let out a slow, languid moan at the sensation of taut sinew and muscle.

Achieving mutual pleasure became a need so urgent after so many months apart, both Buck and Inez knew this display of passion could be no other way but savage. Snaking his hand through her luxurious hair, he forced himself to her mouth again and delivered to her a kiss of jarring intensity. No sooner than she had time to breathe, she felt his tongue slid past her teeth once more, searching the warm recess for her own while pulling at her nightdress. When it did not come away quickly enough, Buck ripped the fabric apart and saw her eyes become glassy with lust from that brutality of that action. Buck grinned, realising with perfect clarity how she wanted to be touched.

Inez raised felt his mouth leave hers and felt a surge of anticipation as his mouth started to move down her neck. He tasted the flesh so hungrily; she could almost feel teeth biting into her skin. The pain aroused her even more. Her nails raked across the powerful muscles of his back and she felt a surge of moisture between her legs as she felt the taut, firm flesh under her palms. Suddenly, she felt his lips discontinue its downward journey and from the pit of her stomach, Inez felt an emptiness that was desperate for more. She looked into his face and saw the animal hunger in his eyes and yet was amazed at how tender and mindful he was that her needs had to be met. Impatience however had forced him to shorten his progress downwards. When he fell down hungrily on her breasts, all other thoughts were pushed from her mind.

He nursed on her hard, not allowing her to become accustom to the sensation, since her soft cries of pleasure gave him all the incentive he needed to increase his pace. Buck continued to suck her nipples past his teeth and swirled his tongue around the erect flesh. Inez was unaware of anything but that tantalising mouth driving her insane with pleasure and unconsciously, her legs parted to give him a more comfortable position between them. Suddenly one hand left her breast, sliding past her stomach. Buck's fingers drifted over the hair of her mound, poised and ready to touch her swelling, erect centre. She arched her back languidly as she felt fingers spreading open her folds and probing her gently.

"Damn you feel good." Buck manage to whisper as his finger slid inside her.

In truth, she felt more than just good, she was wonderful. When he felt her tight inner muscles clench immediately around his finger upon penetration; he almost went dizzy from the sensation. His cock almost burst from the sheer anticipation of embedding itself into that hot, wet channel of heaven. He had to rein in his rampant desires because he wanted this first experience of lovemaking as a married couple to leave an indelible impression in her mind that  _all_  their nights would be like this. He wanted Inez never to regret choosing him. Buck could hear her groaning below him, her body moving in waves of undulation as she rode his hand, a slave to the pleasure he was giving her.

Suddenly, he withdrew and tore a sob of disappointment from her when he removed his hand. He was soon sliding down her body, tracing a wet line of kisses with his tongue before his hands wrapped reached her thighs. When the rough stubble of his cheek caressed her belly, he felt her shudder before she became very quiet and still, tensing in anticipation for the pleasure he was about to visit upon her. Buck looked at her for an instance as he was poised over her aching sex, a slow smile stealing across his face that promised her nothing but heart stopping ecstasy.

Inez felt her breath quicken and could only close her eyes when his mouth finally lowered. Her entire body tightened with pleasure as he burrowed into her quivering sex. His tongue quickly found her erect centre, his lips nipping at the tingling flesh while the stubble on his chin and moustache caressed her outer folds, causing her to groan louder and with more abandon. She felt his tongue probing her slowly, spearing its way inside her as it pressed hard against the hard nub of flesh that drove her insane with feeling each time that he sucked it past his teeth.

Buck’s large hands held her hips firmly, forcing her to stay still even though she was squirmed in pure sensation. He continued to draw the tiny node of flesh into his mouth with hard suction. Teasing it between his teeth and laving its tip with the heat of his warm tongue, he could feel her metamorphosis from woman into a mass of tingling nerve endings. He relished the sounds of every moan and every incoherent plea. Just the taste of her hardened his cock and promised the most shattering climax of his vast experience. He could feel the tightening of his loins bracing itself for the pleasure of sinking deep inside her.

"Oh Buck!" She gasped as the full vent of her orgasm came upon her and swept her away helplessly. Her body tensed with such raw need Buck almost came himself when her taste started to fill him. He lapped her juices like a thirst that needed quenching, pleased to know that he had inspired her enough to bring her to this. Giving her little time to recover, he slid upward again covering her body with his. The throes of her passion had strained his control almost to breaking point. The need to satisfy himself was all consuming as he felt his cock slip through her legs and prod insistently at her slick opening. He braced his hands on either side of her and felt his mouth go dry with aching desire when her legs wrapped around his waist, inviting him to join with her. Inez looked at him, her eyes burning.

"Make love to me Buck." She sighed, her lips quivering with expectation.

Buck smiled, happy to oblige as he pulled her against him hard, impaling Inez with the full length of his hardness. She cried out softly when he penetrated her ruthlessly. Yet it was not pain she cried out for. It was  _more_  of him, as much as he could fill inside her. Buck rammed into her with all the force her could muster, until his full length of his cock was buried inside her throbbing folds and he could enter no more. He ground his teeth from crying out himself, from becoming overwhelmed by her heated insides, grabbing and teasing him as he started to thrust into her.

Buck did not think making love to her could get any better than it already had. Sliding into her was the most incredible sensation he had ever felt and he had enough experience to tell the difference. She paled the others in comparison but any further thought was swept away by the juggernaut of sensation she produced when he started pumping into her body. Until now, it had all been foreplay, shadowy facsimile dogged by doubt and insecurity. There was none of that any more. There were just them and the passion of a lifetime waiting to be extinguished in nights like this.

For Buck, this was not the consummation of his marriage; this was a new existence.

Each stroke into her was pure, unadulterated pleasure, the likes of which made his groan each time he slid in to her and ached each time he pulled back to thrust again. Buck became so hard that he was almost sorry for the muscles of melted honey and what they were enduring. He rammed harder, feeling her thighs tighten around his waist, until she was biting down from the force of him. Her nails clawing at his back and the pain created a rush of added pressure that ripped his control asunder. Buck grunted softly, but the constant rhythm of his cock pounding through her wet, oh so wet sex forced him to start gasping or else he would have exploded. The heat of their raw sexual power burned like fire as he pounded into her, harder and harder, until he could not think for the sheer pleasure of her body

"Oh Jesus!" He cried out, unaware that a cry had even passed his lips.

Her resolve disappeared hearing him. "Buck! Buck! Please don’t stop!"

The plea sent him over the edge. Buck went tumbling gratefully, not caring when he had reached the point where he could endure it no more. Giving into the sensations that had taken him just as fiercely as it had taken her, no matter how desperately he tried to maintain his grip on the shredded remains of his restraint, Buck felt his defences give way. Finally, with an exhausted, almost guttural groan of pleasure, he let himself go.

Buck emptied his seed into the deepest centre of her being. His entire life and soul escaped as he released a torrent of heat into her body and continued to pump as he started descending from the tight plateau of pleasure they had both been carried away. Inez tensed beneath him and then shuddered, her nails sinking into his back and he felt warmth around him that was more than just him squeezing out the last of drop of his desire into her. He uttered a loud satisfied growl the moment he heard her soft moans became kittenish purrs of delight and collapsed on top of her.

The bones in his body felt as if they had disappeared when he lay against her breast, hearing the soft murmur of her heart beating under the skin. Both their bodies glistening with sweat despite the cool of the night. He could feel her soft breath against his neck while her hands caressed his back with contented satisfaction.

"I love you." She whispered in his ear with a smile.

"I love you Inez," he pushed himself onto his elbows so that he could look into her face. "I don’t ever want you to think that I don’t. I feel lucky to have you and our daughter."

She gazed at him curiously, wondering what had brought such sentiment on, even though the moment was profound for both them. Still, these were things he had said before and yet there was a deeper sense of meaning as he said them now. "We’re lucky to have you." She said with a smile. "No," she corrected herself after a moment. "I’m lucky to have you. We’ve been married only a short time but I’ve come to realise just how lucky I am."

Buck rested her head against her chest once again. "I’m the lucky one." He whispered under his breath. "I’m the lucky one."

* * *

God, she felt sick.

There had to be some advantage to having delivered one child in a person’s lifetime to make the next one a little easier to cope with. As Mary Larabee found herself seated at the kitchen table, trying to down a cup of tea in the strange hope that it would not make her violently ill, she wondered if the next seven months was going to be an ordeal of vomit and nausea. As it was, her nerves were shot to hell and her temperament was even worse. For the last three days, morning sickness as it was laughably called had made its arrival into the Larabee household. She supposed she ought to be mildly grateful that she did not have to endure this humiliating experience with Chris in the house as well.

Just one humorous remark made at her expense would have gotten him killed with his own guns.

As she sipped lightly at the steaming cup of team, which she had begrudgingly made without the benefit of either sugar or milk, since the taste only tipped the precarious balance her stomach was poised upon for the worst, she wondered when Chris would be home. The telegram she had received from him this morning had revealed good news at least; Vin had been cleared of all charges. While she burned with curiosity at the specifics of his freedom, Mary was more concerned about when Chris was getting home. She had not had the chance to tell him about the baby prior to his departure and now wished that she had. The last week had left Mary wondering how he would take the news of a new baby. After all, they had not been married for very long and it  _was_  a big step.

She swirled the teaspoon within her cup and wondered if there was anything left to eat, since her stomach was a minefield of nausea one moment and ravenous hunger the next. Since the cycle had her on hungry, she pushed herself away from the table and went to the pantry, rummaging through the shelves for anything that was fit to eat and found to her pleasure that there was still some marble cake left over from dinner two nights ago. It was a little stale but with copious amounts of jam, it could be edible. She then proceeded to collect anything that would make the confectionary taste better and withdrew from the larder with a cache of jars in her hands while supporting the plate of cake in her mouth.

  
Mary had not taken more than a step back towards the table again when she stopped short at the sight of Chris standing at the doorway to the kitchen, watching her progress with arms folded and an expression on his face she could only call indifferent.

"Ch...........!" She exclaimed through the plate in her mouth.

Chris who was carrying a non descript brown paper bag came forward and pulled the plate from her lips before putting it on the table. Without batting an eye, he leaned forward and kissed her gently. "Cravings started already?"

Mary met his eyes and exclaimed. "How did you know?"

"Alex let it slip," Chris admitted, wondering if she had any idea how much he wanted to frame this moment. "Don’t be too hard on her, she’s had a tough time." He said quickly so that Mary would not be upset.

"Its okay," Mary frowned as she motioned him to help her with her collection. "I wanted to tell you before you went but with everything that happened..."

"Its all right," he said casually, having come to terms with a lot of things in the last few days to know that a baby was not as frightening as he thought and as long as Mary was with him, he could handle  _anything_. "Everything was little crazy with Vin’s trouble and all."

Mary sat down and stared at him puzzled, expecting a different reaction from the one she was receiving. He appeared to be very at ease with it when she had expected all kinds of demons to emerge with this kind of news. Instead, he took his hat off and draped it at its familiar corner on one of the kitchen chairs before retrieving one of the cups in the cupboard and sitting down to join her, still holding that brow paper bag in his hand. Finally curiosity got the better of her and Mary had to ask.

"Chris, say something." She asked, feeling butterflies in her stomach at his answer.

"Ain’t much to say." He replied as he continued to pour himself tea. He was glad it was not coffee. At this time of the night, he would never get to sleep and he needed a few good hours after riding in the saddle all day. "Baby’s coming."

"Are you okay with it?" She started feeling nervous about his manner. Goddamn! She hated it when he got all enigmatic like this with her. Even after almost of year of marriage, Mary could never read that particular mask when he chose to wear it.

"You know when I was in Tascosa," he started to say. "I had to buy supplies for the trip home and I was listening to these two women talking."

"Chris!" Mary exclaimed exasperated, knowing that her frustration had much to do with her hormones as it had to do with his being completely evasive. She did not want to know about local gossip in Tascosa but rather his opinion on their new arrival in spring.

Chris seemed unperturbed by her outburst and continued speaking. However, now that he was finished with pouring his tea, he began picking up the jars in front of Mary and sliding them to the other side of the table idly, as if his hands were looking for something to do as he spoke. "They were mostly talking about women’s stuff, you know dances, whose going with who, who got married and whose having kids. I didn’t pay much attention to it."

"Then why are we talking about it?" She groaned. "I want to know how you feel about the baby!"

"Seems to me they all had these funny opinions on what was the best way to get through a pregnancy." He continued, as if he had not heard a word she had said.

"By not infuriating your wife." Mary glared at him with menace.

"I picked enough to know that these," he took the last bottle away from her and then to her horror the cake too, "are gonna make you so sick that you will be puking your guts for the next month." He said firmly and pushed the brown paper bag in her direction.

"What’s this?" Mary frowned, hating the fact that he was right because she knew that piece of matronly advice herself from when she had been carrying Billy.

"Open it," he ordered and expected to be obeyed, no matter how temperamental she was.

She gave him a look through narrowed eyes and reached into the bag, before discovering that it was filled with plain biscuit crackers. "Crackers? You’re making me eat crackers?"

"Get used to them." Chris smiled deviously. "You’re going to be eating a lot of them for the next month."

* * *

**A WEEK LATER....**

 

"Now you are sure you’ve kept an eye on our clothes this time?" Alex looked at Vin sternly as they wallowed inside the cool water contained with the water tower at the ranch.

"Will you quit worrying?" Vin retorted. "I told you, they’re safe." This time Vin had taken extreme precaution to let  _no one_  know that they were coming out here tonight although after Alex’s revenge upon Buck, Ezra and JD, Vin seriously doubted they would be facing a repeat of that incident. Tonight, it was just the two of them under a clear sky with the stars out in force. Once again, they found themselves, naked and alone, which was a good thing to be when they were young and very much in love with nothing but time on their hands.

For the rest of the night at least.

"Okay," she relented, relaxing enough to enjoy being here with him, trying to get past the insecurities engendered by her last visit to this watery confines. "I trust you." She said with a smile and swam towards him. Vin enclosed her wet body with his hands as she neared him and for a few minutes, lost all sense of time as their mouths met in a playful dance of passion. His tongue darted past her lips, drawing warmth from the recess of her mouth, while his hands slid up and down her back caressing her smooth skin.

"So," he said when he was finally able to leave those wonderful lips to put forward the question that had been on his mind ever since they had returned from Tascosa. "Do you still want to marry me, now that I’m sort of respectable?" He was very careful to stay away from the subject of Amanda Kincaid, even though Alex was feeling better about it now that that she was home.

Chris had been right about that.

Alex had started to feel better once she returned to Four Corners. Being home had done a great to alleviate the pain she was feeling and allowed her to come to terms with what had happened in Tascosa, especially with her friends rallying around her and offering their support. Today was the first time in days, that Vin had seen her actually relaxed enough to suggest they have this little interlude alone. He wanted to discuss their future, now that they were in a position to finally do something about it.

"Hell yeah, cowboy." Alex chuckled, wondering how he could even imagine that would ever change, no matter what had happened in Tascosa.

"We’re done courtin’ long enough." He pointed out.

"True." Alex agreed with him on that point. "I’m sick of you creeping out my house. I want you legally obligated to be there." She teased and started kissing him again. For a few seconds, Vin indulged her passion as her mouth devoured his and felt himself stiffen in excitement.

"Aw hell, when you put it that way," he mumbled through the heavenly taste of her lips on his.

"It’s all in the asking," Alex laughed and started nibbling on his ear when she suddenly asked. "By the way, where did you put our clothes?"

"Some place, no one will ever think to find it." He said proudly and fell silent abruptly as if he had made a most unpleasant discovery.

  
Alex tensed. "Where did you put them, Vin?"

Vin did not answer once again and prompted Alex to push herself away from him so that she could look him in the eye when she repeated her question. He looked back at her troubled.

"Where did you put it Vin?" Alex demanded, more insistent about knowing now.

"I forgot." He said reluctantly.

"You’re kidding me, right?" She squeaked in horror.

"It will come to me in a minute." He assured her and wondered whether this water was deep enough for a drowning. He better pray it was not.

"In a minute! This from the man whose supposed to be the best tracker in the Territory!" She sputtered in fury. "Tanner, if you don’t find my clothes in two minutes, you will not be finding anything EVER AGAIN!"

_"It will come to me.....!"_

 

 

**THE END**

 


End file.
